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VOLUME I.
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LOOKS VERY LIKE "OFF WITH THE OLD, ON WITH THE NEW."
DETROIT
AS RIVAL
TORENO
Citizens Displeased at
Number of Divorces
There.
STRONG PROTESTS MADE
Governor in Favor of Making the
Laws More Stringent—Clergy
and Leading Citizens Dislike
Having Their Beautiful City Get
Record Like That of the Nevada
Town.
NEW YORK.—That dear old song
of the sorrowfully mated:
I’m on my way to Reno,
I'm leaving, town today.
Tell all the boys and all the girls
You meet along Broadway.
Life In Reno must be grand.
Husbands marching hand In hand
Singing the battle cry of Freedom
must be put away In moth balls. It
does not fit. Reno is to be wiped off
the map. Tell the song writers to
forget Reno and get busy on Detroit.
Last year Detroit broke all her
capital records for divorces. Nearly
1,100 were granted in twelve months.
This was an average of nearly four
decrees a day for each court day. Be
sides, Detroit has a Judge who has
broken the record for granting di
vorces. In eleven months of last year
he decided favorably on 223 cases.
“New York divorcees are flocking to
Detroit,” said Rev. Dr. Frank S. Row
land of the Cass Avenue Methodist
church, “and unless there Is a speedy
reform we will reap the shame of
Reno and Nevada.” The pastor’s
statement was based on these tacts:
First —Attracted by the lax divorce
laws of Michigan, men and women
from all parts of the east and south
take up residence in Detroit. There
they may procure their decrees upon
any one of seven grounds.
Second —The geographical location
of Detroit is such that it’s far easier
of access than Reno. Besides Detroit
is far more attractive than its longer
established rival. Detroit is a mod
ern city—a very pretty city, with ex
cellent traction service, a great park.
Belle Isle, in the middle of the river;
theaters, hotels, apartments and res
taurants —in fact, everything that at
tracts one to a city of the "so differ
ent” type.
Third —a divorce colony is gradual
ly taking form. More correctly, there
are two colonies —one for winter, the
other for summer. In the autumn and
winter the divorcons live In a row of
apartment houses fronting Woodward
avenue. Here they live In private
suites, men and women, like their
brethren ana sisteren in the Riverside
hotel at Reno. With the coming of
spring, however, these apartments be
come deserted. Down to the banks of
the Detroit river migrates the colony.
The ground on which Michigan al
lows absolute divorce is a case of
"take your pick,” one of seven, and
these seven are:
Adultery.
If one Os the parties has been sen
tenced to imprisonment In any Jail,
prison or house of correction for three
years or more.
Desertion tor a period of two years.
if one of the parties was physically i
Incompetent at the time of marriage.
Habitual drunkenness.
NUMBER 11.
Extreme cruelty, whether practiced
by using personal violence or by any
other means.
When the husband shall grossly or
wantonly and cruelly retuse or neglect
to support his wife
In New York absolute divorce can
be granted on only one ground, that
of adultery. If a divorce is granted
in such case the guilty party is de
barred from marrying again during the
life of complainant, excepting that
after five years have elapsed the
Judge granting the decree can modify
this provision and permit the defend
ant to marry again. If the Judge sees
fit to do so. Separation for a term of
years or forever may be granted in
New York on the grounds of cruel and
inhuman treatment, abandonment,
non-support, etc., but this does not
permit the parties to marry again.
In Detroit, however, they don’t
bother with separations—divorce is so
much easier with the seven gates
without guardians. And in spite of
all these things—the pulpit’s warn
ing, the average of four divorces a
day, the colony, the lax law —the
Judge who is the record breaker with
his 233 decrees in eleven months ob
jects strenuously to any publicity con
cerning the proceedings of Detroit’s di
vorce courts. Last month he wrote a
letter to the publisher of a Detroit
newspaper that has instituted a cru
sade against the ‘New Reno” idea. In
part, he said: “All divorce cases
should be heard ‘in camera,’ the state
being represented by counsel In
much the same manner as it now in
tervenes in naturalization proceed
ings. Such representation would In
sure against fraud and collusion, and
would, moreover, give a vitally inter
ested party—the state —its day In
court. No publicity other than the
result arrived at, the granting or re
fusal of the decree sought, should be
had."
Finally this Judge's decisions and
the notoriety Detroit was likely to ob
tain came to the attention of Gover
nor Osborn of Michigan. From the
capital at Lansing he promptly issued
a statement, In which he declared the
divorce laws should be made more
stringent. This statement follows:
"Divorce In Michigan should be
made as difficult as possible. At
present it Is too easy. 1 would, make
marriage as easy as possible and di
vorce as difficult as possible. It ap
pears evident that our laws governing
the latter lack stringency lamentably.
Were married people aware that they
could not separate on Inexcusable
and inconsequential excuses there
would be more effort toward bringing
harmony In the home and a better ap
preciation of the responsibilities men
and women assume when they marry.
There Is no reason why marriage
should be hedged about with rules it
those who enter into this contract
realize that once they hav'e become
man and wife there is no easy way to
break it. if men and women knew
they were marrying for life they
would either pause before taking the
vow or else they would begin home
life thoroughly understanding that
each must do his or her share toward
harmony and accept the responsibili
ties as they are, not as a temporary
bargain to be abrogated at the wish
of either or both.”
On the heels of the governor's
words Detroit was Jerked up by a
statistical report. It came from Sec
retary of State Frederick C. Martin
dale and was given wide publicity. In
part this report said:
“The frequency of divorce tn the
state of Michigan has become ap
palling. We are heading toward a
second Nevada —Detroit, another I
Reno. The consideration of petitions
for divorce occupies a very consider- i
able part of the time of the courts
of this state, and the magnitude of 1
the question can hardly be shown bet- I
ter than by examining the official re- i
turns filed in the department of state i
by the clerks of the different coun- 1 ।
ties. According to the statements re- i i
She IhiUctin
IRWINTON, WILKINSON COUNTY, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1912.
ceived there were 10,450 bills for di
vorce pending in the courts of Michi
gan on January 1, 1910. Most of these
were in Detroit. The number of new
bills filed during the year was 5,596,
making a total of 16,046 cases under
consideration by the courts during
the year.
“There were 3,246 divorces granted
in Michigan during the year, while
only sixty-three were refused, 236
were withdrawn or otherwise disposed
of and 12,591 would apparently go
over as 'divorces pending* for the
present year. Taking 16,046 as the
aggregate number o’.' cases before the
courts, then the number granted
would constitute 20.2 per cent. ,of the
total number of petitions, while no
'less than 78 per cent, remained pend
ing. The numbers refused and with
drawn together amount to only 1.8
per cent. Such a comparison as the
above should be taken only as a very
general one, and not as precisely In
dicating the ratio of divorces grant- '
ed to actions begun In the Michigan
courts. The divorces granted are
based upon petitions filed during 1910
and preceding years, and, with an in
creasing volume of divorce business,
more than the average number of
cases begun in 1910 would remain un- I
acted upon, thus apparently render
ing the ratio of cases granted some
what too low."
Representative of Detroit’s Protest
ant body, Rev. Dr. Leete of the Cen
tral Methodist Episcopal church has
said: “The enormous record of di
vorces granted in Detroit is fast giv
ing this city a bad name. Moreover,
the city is becoming a center for men
who desert wives and children in
other states and who come here to
gratify evil affinities. If not checked
by an aroused public sentiment,
judges who place a loose construction
upon the statutes will destroy the
foundations of society, and such men
should receive the condemnation
which their acts deserve. The state
laws should be changed so that hon
orable people who find it absolutely
necessary to obtain divorce for self- ;
protection need not bear the suspicion
which attaches to the great majority
of those divorced. Divorce, with re
marriage, should be allowed only in
case of proven adultery. Marriage li
censes should state whether the peo
ple entering upon the hymeneal con
tract have been divorced, and they
should name the cause for which the
divorce was granted. Legal separa
tion for necessary reasons should be
honorably distinguished from the at-|
tempt to form legally polygamous re
lations."
Reno consciously catered to di
vorcons and got them. Detroit with
her easy laws and attractive sur
roundings achieved the same result
all unknowingly. So today Detroit :
has its Thomas, its Riverside, its
Truckee Just like the little city in
Nevada, and the colony is growing
and growing. As this growth is very
distasteful to the respectable citizens
of Detroit steps are being taken to
nip the budding “new Reno” before it
can obtain full bloom.
Last month a new rule for having a
proctor from the prosecuting attor
ney’s office report on each divorce
hearing went into effect It is under
stood that on his report will depend
largely the Judge’s decision. Also as
each complainant takes the stand he
must answer these questions:
“How long have you lived In De
troit?”
“What Is your present address?”
“Are there minor children and, if
so. what arrangements have been
made for their care?”
“Have you ever been divorced be
fore?”
“Has personal service on the de
fendant been obtained?”
This Is expected to make things dif
ficult for the colony. Yet such re
forms are but minor. The trouble
rests, authorities say. with Michigan s
divorce laws, and unless these be
changed the new Reno will surely
grow and prosper.—New York Press
MYRICK’S
Milledgeville, Ga.
THE SPRING GOODS
Are Arming Daily
Our Offerings for the
Coming Season Are
Away Ahead of all Past
Showings.
i
We have the merchandise that
will please you, and “The Big Store” is
here with store service. Polite sales =
people, quick service, large stocks well
selected, and pleasingly displayed.
Here you’ll find the ideal place to shop.
If you don’t know we will be pleased
to see you. We have no private office,
but would like to meet you when in
town. Our store is worth inspecting.
j The next time you are in town come
in. Ask to see the store and tell us
what you think of us. We will appro
ciate vour criticism or approval.
Here’s hoping we see you soon.
* Your Friends,
W.S.Myrick&Co.
: ■
SI.OO A YEAR.