The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-05-08
MITIGATION OF
DIVORCE LAWS
M Good Result Can Come
From Damming Up
Swollen Stream
Urge MORE LIBERALITY
y,sier Divorce and More Pre-
caution Against Mismating
Tends to Happiness
~. MARGERY REX.

,,-,, divorce law approaching?
pccept legal proceedings In sew
.raI wcN-known families have made
,so need ot federal divorce law seem
imperative.
The National League of Women
.v,to,s ,a convention In Cleveland,
has recognized the necessity for
,,,h LEGISLATION. Part OF the pro
ram Of the convention includes dis
'p.sI,n Of the divorce problem and
h. sdopt.on OF resolutions to liber-
,Jyo and simplify the laws sur
rounding IL
Mrs. James Lees Iaidlaw, one of
,bo New York membefs OF the or
,a,izauor. announced TODAY tina,
10, univ divorce, but kindred sub
tects pertaining to the protection of
women and children, such as child
isbor laws, will be discussed at the
convention,
Il thoroughly believe" she said
today in a program for liberaliz-
ing and unifying divorce laws.
part Of our general plan for the
oodlficatlun Of laws, and their unfit
cation. includes not only considera-
lion OF divorce laws, but those which
affect children,
''This is a necessity now, as never
before, IN the United States. Every
sAtion of this country Is closely
hound by interconnections and our
laws should be more uniform.
Laws governing divorce should
have dignity and humanity incorpo-
rated in them"
Miss Pugh Urges Changes.
Further approval of the leagues
b progranh was expressed by n young
woman lawyer, Miss Lucille Pugh,
who agrees that the present system
Of marriage and divorce is made
Quate and unjust.
Il believe that marriage should be
looked upon >as civil contract
which can be dissolved or abrogated
when conditions change and when 1t
is proper and right 10 do so,' she
said.
'The happiness OF two people is
| the one thing on which the state
must depend for its existence.
And that happiness should be
guarded IT is the states duty TO
prStect IT,
by standing in the way of more
LIBERAL divorce laws the state is not
doing its duty. 1t is cutting it's own
roots thereby.
But / would not be too lax. Such
grounds as cruelty are often inter-
preted too leniently. A woman may
say It is cruel If her husband does
not kiss her when he leaves for bus
mess in the morning.
Such reason for divorce, IL
ever made one of the grounds.
should be carefully defined.
Divorce should be granted when
two people find II impossible to be
help to each other. This is the
whole idea
The state should not make it an
obligation on either party to the
punhappy marriage to resort to collu-
sion.
"How could the laws be unified :?
think IL a constitutional amend
ment could be pass making the
Jaw uniform, but leaving the en-
toreement OF IT. to the state, It would
be very satisfactory. Then people
wouldn't have to so to a federal
court for q divorce, but to the state
courts as usual. This would be q
great protection to women and to
children as well.
don't know how II would work
out-if 1t would be easy to adjust
or not. IL not, then we ought 10
INA some efficient way.
one report, which may be incor-
n rect has 1t that the League OF
women Voters would place two
years as the period between mar
,sse and divorce. This Is too long
people can't get along for two
4 ifas II Is a serious thing. 1 don't
IN Whether that means that they
Sant u woman 20 wait two years to
tet divorce, or two years till she
may re-marry after being divorced.
u either case, It is too long,
Hard 10 Define Cruelty.
Many people, IL cruelty were
uIaoe a ground, would say that in
vvompauollity should be synonymous.
easy TO say that so many things
represent cruelty.
me point should be that IL two
honestly get along together
"e state that married them should
sNe them relief.
=, Women should have the custody
VI ther children, / believe. That is
,nUnahs natural vocation anyway,
'Hs ., one She started out with.
,Nhen divorce Is given to the
V' 'ht Cnlld-if Of tender years
1 rs gwen TO the mother. That is
Ss rsht and just. Circumstances
Ives I've 80 much to do with every case.
,Sousa IT a woman is wholly bad
,n a.-llId Is better away from her,
matter how young.
"1 us be honest and fair and
"asT sensible legislation.
med'ih certificates with marriage
v''sts '"'ts are good idea. We should
ha a"S marriage hard TO achieve. Now
\, haId only TO be divorced, not
ee' married The very YOUNG
J T,t know their own minds and
Tba,. INTO disastrous marriages
"pp "p should be protected
n @ l' "hdt good is IL to the state or
toss'Sy lndi dual to keep two people
aT"'' VINO want to be apart?
s",ss hypocrisy, nothing else,
but avs are not for the strong,
shop,a" thc weak. And woman
always be protected"
sp.,,S,f fEdcrni Health Man Here.