The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-21

men are rude and coarse in their manners
and habits, and the relation between the
sexes is little better than that Of master
and slave. The women are sunk by drudg-
cry and ill-treatment to the lowest level,
and take their husbands blows and kicks as
inevitable Incidents Of matrmony. spe-
cially experienced gentleman writes from
Liverpool: 1.-THE women OF Lancashire are
awiuly fond Of bad husbands. II has ho-
come quite a truism that our women are
like dogs-the more you beat them the
more they love you"
Official reports show that over six thou
sand aggravated assaults by husbands on
wives came before the English authorities
during the years 1874 1875, and 1876. But
these were only the worst cases. The or
binary beatngs and kickings are not in
cluded, since comparatively few OF them are
brought to the attention Of the police. They
are the instances where the savage treat
ment has gone so far that the woman is
killed or manned. Sometimes" as Miss
CoBDE observes, There are men Of compar-
atively mild dispositions who are content to
so on beating their wives year after year,
giving them occasional black eyes and
hair, but not proceeding beyond these minor
injuries to anything perilous." Such cases
attract no attention outside the immediate
neighborhood Of the parties, and are too
common there to provoke any surprise
But other men cannot punish their wives
severely enough with their fists, and so re-
sort to stamping on them. and finally to at
lacking them with deadly weapons. Then
the public hears Of their brutality.
1t s'startling to find Miss CoBBE limiting
that wife beating exists even in the upper
and middle classes OF England more than
is generally recognized. In his apparently
most ungovernable rage, the gentleman or
tradesman, says the lady, somehow manages
to bear in mind the disgrace he will incur II
his outbreak be betrayed by his wlfe's black
eye or broken arm, and he regulates his
kicks and cuffs accordingly. The poorer
classes furnish the dangerous wife beaters,
English golfers, puddlers, and weavers hav-
ing long earned for themselves In this mat
ter an especially bad reputation.
or course, drinking is the cause OF most
OF this brutality; but Miss CoBBE thinks the
innate love Of cruelty in many coarse and
rude men OF itself stimulates them to whip
In the sight of suffering, and like to show
their physical mastery Of women. She also
finds in the crowding Of the poor into
noisome tenements prolific cause. From
the sheer friction OF the inhabitants they
grow irritable; the women punish their
husbands with their tongues, nag and worry
them; and the husbands defend themselves
with their fists. For Miss CoBBE does not
hesitate to acknowledge that many Of the
wives who are beaten bring the punishment
on themselves by their shrewish language
and intolerable behavior.
1t is proposed in England to resort to the
hogging of the Offenders as u means u check
ing wife beating, Chief Justice CocKBURS and
nearly oil the leading Judges ON the bench
advocating its addition to the present pen
alties but Miss CoBBR thinks tiogging would
rather tend to increase the evil than to
check II. 1t is hard enough now to get
wives to testify against their husbands,
when the penalty is only few months i'm
prisonment. II it was made severe punish
ment with the lash, fewer still would consent
to appear.
Her remedy Is to give power to police
magistrates and petty sessions courts. not
only to punish the convicted husband, but
also to protect the wife by judicial separa-
ton. A bill to secure these desirable ends
has been prepared, and has the approval Of
many eminent legal authorities. 1t pro-
vides that where husband has been con-
victed Of an assault on his wife, and has
been sentenced to prison for the offence the
Court shall have power at once. or at any
time aiterward. TO grant her limited
divorce, by which her property and earnings
shall be secured 10 herself and her husband
prevented from visiting her without her
consent; she to have the custody OF her
children. The Court may further order the
husband TO pay his wife, 50 separated. a
weekly allowance. There is great deal 10
be said in favor OF the bill.