Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1848-08-25
For the Southport Telegraph
RIGHTS OF MARRIED WOMEN

1t is great pleasure to have tete tete wi,
the Argus on this subject, about once month
but we don seem 10 understand each other vel
we'll. In his first article, he says: They Uhe r.
formers) seem TO insist that a woman should be
man. We insist that she has right to be ia
what God made her-a woman and nothing else
This is grand mistake. + eformers do not ins.
that woman should DO man; but they do insi.
that woman is a human being, possessed OF res
son and intellect, and for hi. reason, has right
lie, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and
think (let other reformers speak for themselves
that our present system of marriage robs her {
some of these inestmable blessings.
1t appears 10 me, that the principal differenc
between the editor and myself is, that he, as
stand still, thinks it right that marriages for stat
policy marriages for conscience, for money. fo
estates &c, should be encouraged and obtained b
all sorts ofdeception. !, as reformer, think tina
no inducements should be held out 10 bring tn,
sexes together but the natural feelings of the heart
which God has implanted in every human being
fuFe love for one person only. And for this rea
son my opinion is fixed, that marriage and mon
ey should be totally and forever separated" r,
this sentiment the editor remarks: $50 he woul,
deter woman from marrying man for his mon
ey. Most assurediy. 1t is legal prostitution -
nave never yet known happy couple when Ell
ther the one or the oiher married for the sake -
money or property. In New York there are abou,
twenty thousand females who make business O
marrying for money; in Philadelphia there are a
few less in London or Paris great many more
and though their system is not legalfzed they com
monty get what they marry for. They sometime,
marry fora few minutes only and for very small
amounts. This IS called prostitution even by the
stand stills; and marrying for a larger sum and 4
longer time is no less prostitution, only that we
may place the word legal before it to show lis
quality
Does any individual in this community believe
II necessary TO produce argument to prove that the
system which compels men and women 10 love
in one place and marry in another is not product.
I'VE OF human happiness There are perhaps. some
who cherish the foolish notion that if they only
had certain quantity of money they would be hap
Py; but it is a sad mistake In the mind alone
rests solid joy and true felicity
There is nothing in the whole business of life
carried on with so much deception as that of get
ting married, yet there is nothing that ought to be
carried on with SO much candor and fnirness. The
future happiness of the family will be shocked by
blunt deception at the commencement, by either
OF the parties, and yet, in almost every case de
ception is used to greater or less extent, and
nearly all this deceit originates in marrying for
gain or convenience
Such foundation for the happiness of a family
is foundation of sand. When a man goes to
court young lady OF fortune does he tell her in so
manv words that he came TO marry'he for her mo.
ney? Certainly not. His attentions are all person,
al, and his manner very atfectionate but shortly
after marriage she discovers the true state of the
case she herself neglected, and her fortune
only cared for she then becomes unhappy, and of
course makes him so too All cases of This kind
would be mended by separating marriage and mon,
ey altogether.
The very last reform in tie marriage system
was a provision for the wife out of the husbands
property it is much late than the law regulating
what she shall be beaten with We now want to
Improve on that by allowing all of her own. We
have no objections that the woman should put in
her labor and capital in joint stock concern with
her husband, but subject to the conditions she
agrees on, like other firms
That the editor of the ARGUS" will soon be.
come favorable 10 the rights of women ha sc H.
tie doubt, from the facility with which he comes
over to other reforms When free soil was first
talked OF it was beneath his ridicule but after
little ne began to rea; it with bitter sarcasm, and
in his paper of July 25th, 1s4S, is the following
H." II may be consider ed as settled that the de-
mocracy of this State are earnestly in favor of
free territory, free soil, free speech, and free
trade Onr senators and representatives in Con-
gress, and the state Legislature have affirmed the
doctrine, and the honest, upright sense of the peo.
pie sanct ions it,
Who knows but in the course Of another wear
" the honest and upright sen" Of the peoplc" will
sanction the rights OF women'
CONCILIATOR.