Marriage may be entered into by any two persons, with the following exceptions: Idiots, lunatics, persons of unsound mind, persons related by blood or affinity within certain degrees prohibited by law, infants under the age of consent, which varies in the different States, and all persons already married and not legally divorced.

The violation of the marriage vow is cause for absolute divorce in all the States and Territories except South Carolina and New Mexico, which have no divorce laws.

Physical inability is a cause in all the States except California, Connecticut, Dakota, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Texas and Vermont. In most of these States it renders marriage voidable.

Willful desertion, one year, in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Dakota, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wisconsin, Washington and Wyoming.

Willful desertion, two years, in Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Willful desertion, three years, in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia.

Willful desertion, five years, in Virginia and Rhode Island, though the court may in the latter State decree a divorce for a shorter period.

Habitual drunkenness, in all the States and Territories except Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

" Imprisonment for felony," or "conviction of felony," in all the States and Territories (with limitations) except Dakota, Florida, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Utah.

Fraud and fraudulent contract, in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington.

"Cruel and abusive treatment," "intolerable cruelty," "extremecruelty," "repeated cruelty," or "inhuman treatment," in all the States and Territories except New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Failure by the husband to provide: One year in California, Colorado, Dakota, Nevada and Wyoming; two years in Indiana and Idaho; no time specified in Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maine, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin; willful neglect for three years, in Delaware.

Absence without being heard, from - Three years in New Hampshire; seven years in Connecticut and Vermont, separation five years, in Kentucky; voluntary separation five years, in Wisconsin; when reasonably presumed dead by the court, in Rhode Island.

"Ungovernable temper," in Kentucky; "habitual indulgence in violent and ungovernable temper," in Florida; "cruel treatment, outrages or excesses as to render their living together insupportable," in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas; "indignities as render life burdensome," in Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming.

In Georgia an absolute divorce is granted only after the concurrent verdict of two juries at different terms of the court. In New York absolute divorce is granted for but one cause, adultery.

All of the causes above enumerated are for absolute or full divorce, and collusion and connivance are especially barred, and also condonation of violation of the marriage vow.

The courts of every State, and particularly of New York, are very jealous of their jurisdiction and generally refuse to recognize as valid a divorce against one of the citizens of the State by the court of another State, unless both parties to the suit were subject at the same time to the jurisdiction of the court granting the divorce.

Previous Residence Required

Dakota, ninety days; California, Indiana, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming, six months; Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont (both parties as husband and wife), West Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, one year; Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Tennessee, two years; Connecticut and Massachusetts (if, when married, both parties were residents, otherwise five years), three years.

Remarriage - There are no restrictions upon remarriage by divorced persons in Connecticut, Kentucky, Illinois and Minnesota. Defendant must wait two years and obtain permission from the court in Massachusetts. The decree of the court may restrain the guilty party from remarrying in Virginia. Parties cannot remarry until after two years, except by permission of the court, in Maine. In New York the plaintiff may remarry, but the defendant cannot do so during the plaintiffs lifetime, unless the decree be modified or proof that five years have elapsed, and that complainant has married again and defendant's conduct has been uniformly good. Any violation of this is punished as bigamy, even though the other party has been married. In Delaware, Pennsylvania and Tennessee no wife or husband divorced for violation of the marriage vow can marry the particeps criminis during the life of the former husband or wife, nor in Louisiana at any time; such marriage in Louisiana renders the person divorced guilty of bigamy.