Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-06-14
PARENTAL AUTHORITY

1t is by no means certain that the law
regulating the parental power in England
is in satisfactory state. A father and
mother in England have never enjoyed
that authority over their offspring which
in most other countries it is thought nee
essary to confer, and now that the pre-
cocity of the rising generation is becom-
ing conspicuous, it may be conscientious
ly doubted whether some strengthening
of the parents hand would not be adyisa
BILE. The power Of the parent over his
offspring is one which has been variously
regulated in different times and places
The ethnolegist or urisconsult has an
ample field before him in discussing the
relative merits of different systems. But
the history of civilization has almost in
variably kept pace with decline in the
power of the father; so that the least pro-
gressivc nations may almost be defined as
those III which the laws on this subject
have renamed most stationary. China is
the stock example of a country which is
at once the most stagnant and most toler
ant of parental tyranny. A Chinese book
recently issued shows that theiright of ex-
posing children or actually destroying
them, and Of selling them as slaves, is
still freely exercised in many parts of the
Celestial Empire. Such practices, bar
barous as they may now appear, were un-
doubtedly common to almost all nations
in a primitive stage. The history OF
Abraham's sacrifice shows the existence
of one of them amongst the Hebrew pa
triarchs, and the sale of Joseph by his
brethren gives color at least to the sup
position that power of sale also existed
The common assumption that Roman
fathers exercised the same power has of
late been denied; but it seems that, how
ever little they availed themselves of such
power, they ostenslbly enjoyed it in
common with the other full rights over
the person and property of their offspring.
1t was only by very gradual and tardy
steps that the propriety rights In question
were undermined by legislative changes,
and that a legal fiction was invented and
developed TO allow sons the privilege OF
possessing and enjoying that which they
had earned by their own exertions while
the father was still alive In India, the
patriarchal system is still fully recognized
by the native Jaw A HindOo family
lives "undivided'' under the care and
charge of its chief, and the sons and
grandsons, as we'll as the unmarried
daughters and granddaughters, remain
still subservient to their ancestor, how
ever old they may be. By Mohammedan
law, the arrangement OF the family is diff
ferent, for the young children are all
committed to the mother, or at least to
some maternal relative ofthe female sex.
The boys remain under their tutelage till
they are about seven years old, and the
daughters 4 until they are married or of
age. But the right OF the parent is much
more restricted than either among the
Hindoos or India or in the ancient COM
monwealths. The father may not make
his daughters work at all, and if he sends
out the sons to labor he may only de-
duct out of their earnings what will pay
for their maintainence, and must save up
the surplus for them TIL they come of
age.
Of all modern European countries
France is that in which the parental au-
thority is most fully recognized. Person
al correction is allowed within very wide
limits up to the age of sixteen, an if this
is not eficacious, the father may apply
TO the court and have his child imprison-
ed for any time less than month. AT
ter the age of sixteen this imprisonment
cannot be demanded as right but must
be .equested in petition 70 the judge;
but then, on the other hand, the incar-
ceration may be extended to any period
not exceeding six months. 1t is, how
ever, in the matter of marriage that the
parent is allowed the most despotic and
unjust powers. Girls are absolutely pro-
hibited until twenty-one, and young men
until twenty-five, from marrying without
the consent of the father if he is alive, or
Of the mother if he is dead; and even al
ter that age the unfortunate Benedict
must, before marrying the the lady of his
choice, address humble request ii the
shape of repeated actes respectueur to
tie parental despot.