Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-12-13

STANDARD Divorce Law for All
u. S. to be Sought In Ma
tional Congress.
Washington, Dec. 8.-National
uniform marriage and divorce laws
embodied in a twentieth constitu-
tional amendment-will be sought
through the new Congress.
Ministerial and reform organiza-
ltions are behind the movement to
dig out of the archives of the senate
Judiciary committee a resolution
hurried there 10 months. It was intro
duced by Senator Wesley L. Jones,
of Washington.
Some reasons advanced are:
The United States grants more di-
|vorces than all other nations COM
bined.
Divorces in America increased 160
per cent in 20 years while population
Increased 40 per cent.
Forty seven states have az differ
ent divorce codes and Congress en-
acts another for the District of CO.
lumbia and territories.
South Carolina alone does not al
low divorce for any cause.
New York and the District of CO.
lumbia grant divorce for one cause
only-infdelity-while reasons for
divorce elsewhere run as high as IA
in New Hampshire.
Different Codes make some people
.bigamists and their children illegiti-
mate in n state and legally married
and with legitimate offspring. in an
other.
"This conflict" says DR.. Renwick
H. Martin, of Pittsburgh, a leader Of
the National Reform Bureau, "tends
to break down respect for those laws
themselves and to their loose inter-
probation. This tends to lessen re-
spect for marriage" b
Figures to be presented to Con-
gress show divorces today are in ex-
cess of one to every nine marriages.
The rate is growing. Los Angeles is
at top speed; six years ago the divorce
rate there was one to every five mar
riages, now 5 to II.
Statistics covering 80 years show
total marriages in America decreased
during two years (1894 and 1904)
and divorces increased each year. La
test figures show in one year, 1,040,-
778 marriages as against 1905 d.
vorces. Women obtain seven of every
ten divorces.
Ten years previously the divorce
total of the country was 72,062 and
20 years previously 42,937. The in
in ten years was SIS per cent
and in 20 years 100 per cent.
Seek National Standard.
The movement for a twentieth
amendment aims toward a national
standard below which no state may
go although any state may enforce.
more rigid standards.
1t has been suggested New York's
law-permitting divorce for infdeli-
ty only-be r:ade the national stan
dard.
Supporting this plan are statistics
showing there was a 20 per cent de-
crease in divorce last year in New
York city over the previous year, as
against a five per cent decrease in
marriages.
Figures also show the number of.
divorces per 100000 is only half as
much in New York as in the United
State as a whole.
Twentieth Amendment.
Senator Jones' resolution propos-
ing to amend the constitution fol-
lows:
Resolved by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Con-
gress assembled 1.-TWO thirds of each
house concurring therein), that the
following amendment to the consti-
tuition of the United States be pro-
posed to the several states which
when ratified by the legislatures of
three-fourths of the states, shall be
valid and binding as a part of the
constitution of the Unites States:
Congress shall have the power to