The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-05-28
Brides for ConEicts.

A cargo of human frelght lett
France the other day, in which l am
somewhat interested. 1t is TO me
rather novel way ofsolving, writes
Paris correspondent, certain phase
of the woman's rights question, but
| am not so sure that the solution is
a correct ore. 1t seems that each
wear one of the general inspectors OF
prisons visits the six central penl-
tentiaries where women convicts are
serving their time, to ask for volun-
teers to go to New Caledonia as wives
for convicts serving out sentences
in that penal colony. Fifty women
who answered this appeal were
shipped the other day from Bor-
deaux, and when they arrive at New
Caledonia they will be divided be-
tween the two religious establish
ments, one at Nolnea, and the other
at Bourail. The convicts OF the tlrst
class-that is, those who have dis
tinguished themselves by good con-
duet, and who are accordingly to be
rewarded by land grants-are III
formed of the arrival OF the women.
Those who are unmarried, or who
are widowers and desire to get mar
ried, 90 TO Nomea or to BouraL,
where they are allowed to make
their choice among the women.
OF course, they are not forced to
make a choice, nor are the women
forced to marry if the men who Sc
lect them do not please them. The
authorities introduce the men and
women to each other and allow
them to act as they please. During
the last century more rapid and
curious system was in force. When
the women arrived they, with the
men, were drawn up IN lines facing
each other. The name of man
was called, and then the name of a
woman, and wher the list had been
called over the couples thus paired
were at once married. As for the
women who volunteer to exchange
:heir cells in st. Lazare and the 9th
er prisons of France for a husband
and perpetual exile in the islands
of the Pacific, il is sale TO say that
they are neither the youngest, the
prettiest, nor the gentlest of her sex.
But. then, these whom they are to
marry are not fellows who can eX-
cite much sympathy and they ought
to consider themselves lucky that
they are given land and allowed to
found a family.
The Government gives each bride
a little trousseau and the husband
is granted certain small favors.
Along with the fifty women that
sailed from Bordeaux were n few
wives OF convicts new in New Gale
donia. who have obtained permis-
sion TO Join their husbands and who
are accompanied by their children.
1t is hoped that in this way the col
onies may be peopled, and that those
convicts who have been sent abroad
for their country's good may lay the
foundation Of virtuous and honest
nation. Whether this be epossible or
not is a question on which there IS
a wide divergence of opinion among
those who have studied 1t. 1t used
to be believed that Australia was
civilized and settled by convicts that
England transported to it, but this
is legend. With very few excep-
tions. convlcts did nothing toward
peopling Australia with honest peo-
pie. 1t was the voluntary emigrant
who changed the face Of the country
and built up the cities that are to
be found in that great island, and
the first thing these cOlonists did
when they began to arrive IN any
numbers was to rid themselves of
the convicts and put a stop to trans
portation. The convicts and the de-
scendantS of cOnyicts wele found to
be an element of disorder that had
to be got rid of all risks. It's well
enough for a civilized hatien to rid
itself of those who have no other
means of making living than crime
and prostitution, by shipping them
off to some unoccupied corner ofthe
globe, but to expect that WITH such
elements a flourishing colony can
be found, is one of those Utopias
which none but the very foolish or
very ignorant dream of.