Whenever that day will come that one uniform divorce-law shall prevail in the United States the name of Lemuel Amerman will be highly honored. This representative from the state of Pennsylvania is the first one who has the courage to attack in Congress the prevalent disgusting conditions due to the various divorce laws. He proposes an amendment to the Constitution which will remove from the single states the right to make their own divorce laws, and will have the Federal Government initiate an equable and general law.

The divorce laws prevalent today differ greatly not only in regard to the causes for which divorces are granted, but also in regard to the immediate consequences of the divorce, and to the length of time the complainant is required to live in the respective city and state, jurisdictions before he can sue for a divorce. This period is five years in Massachusetts, three years in Connecticut, two in Vermont, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and D. C., one year in Maine, Ohio, Illinois, etc., six months in Nebraska, Texas, California etc. and only three months in South Dakota. Therefore South Dakota is the land of opportunity for all who are anxious to get a speedy divorce.

We can not here reiterate the various reasons for which divorces are granted, because they differ widely in the various states. In most of the states the divorced persons can remarry, but the accused or guilty ones must postpone their remarriage from six months to five years, according to the requirements of the law in the respective state. In the state of New York and of South Dakota, a person is not permitted to remary, if he has been divorced for adultery. In Maryland and Virginia the court can prohibit remarriage to divorced persons and in some states the right to remarry depends entirely upon the judgment of the jurors.

Where people have such absolute liberty to move from one state to another, as in the United States, divorce laws, which differ in each state become an absurdity since they lead to serious complications.

What is permissible and legitimate in one state, should not be considered a crime in another state. But if Congress introduces a national divorce law then all regulations in regard to divorce will be the same in all states, and no person will find it necessary to pretend to live in another state in order to 3hasten the divorce proceedings.

It can hardly be expected that the present Congress will undertake such paramount reform measures. However, the committee of the House will have to face this issue, and if Mr. Amerman is an able parliamentarian, he will succeed in presenting this matter to Congress, and thereby direct the attention of the public towards this subject. Once the beginning is made a sane measure like this must succeed.

And more than this! If we once get a national divorce law, it will not take long until we have a national penal law, of which we have likewise an urgent need, although the lawyers are against it.