of persons migrating for the purpose of divorce to a point even less than that stated."[739] In fact, for the reason assigned by Mr. Wright, it seems highly probable that the number of such persons must be placed at considerably less than 10 per cent. of the whole number of persons divorced in the United States.[740] Accordingly, it has been inferred that uniformity of law throughout the country would do little to lower the divorce rate. "The establishment of uniform laws," concludes Mr. Dike, "is not the central point of the problem."[741] Furthermore, there is another important fact bearing on the evil of clandestine divorce. In a number of cases arising in various states the courts have declared null and void decrees secured in jurisdictions where the plaintiffs were not _bona fide_ residents, even when they had dwelt in such jurisdictions for the statutory term prescribed as a condition for obtaining a divorce.[742] [735] "When the question is asked, 'What is the best divorce law?' the only answer can be, 'There is no good divorce law.' There are some faults in human nature which always have existed and apparently always will exist; and there is no satisfactory method of dealing with them."--BRYCE, _Studies in Hist. and Jurisprudence_, 853. This assertion would apply equally well to the whole body of laws dealing with questions arising in human conduct or social relations. It is misleading, and instead of helping to a solution tends to befog the issue. [736] See the _Reports_ of the league and the numerous papers of MR. DIKE mentioned in the fourth division of the "Bibliographical Index." [737] The evils which may result from conflicts of this kind in the divorce laws are discussed in a lively way by RICHBERG, _Incongruity of the Divorce Laws_, 69, 70. But the California act of 1903, if constitutional, may check the abuse: see pp. 150, 151, above. [738] See REALF, "The Sioux Falls Divorce Colony and Some Noted Colonists," _Arena_, IV, Nov., 1891, 696-703, and compare the remarks of DIKE, in _Rep. of Nat. Div. Ref. League_ (1891), 12, who has taken pains to correct the exaggerated accounts of the newspapers; those of HARE, _Marriage and Divorce_, 16 ff.; and see the articles of A. R. KIMBALL and R. OGDEN mentioned in Part IV of the Bibliographical Index. [739] Extract from an address delivered by HON. CARROLL D. WRIGHT before the fourteenth National Conference of the Unitarian Society, Saratoga, N. Y., 1891: in _Arena_, V, 143; printed entire in the _Christian Register_, Oct. 8, 1891; based on the statistics collected in his _Report_, 193-206. Commenting on the passage quoted the editor of the _Arena_ says (142):