New-York tribune., 1885-01-04
DPTNK4RDH WIVES,

There never was time when sympathy, benevo'
lence aud philanthropy were so active as now out
lifo is still full Of situations which secm incapable
of alleyiation. Take tho case Of drunkardg wives.
and especially the wives Of those drunkards who
develop q ruffianly brutality under the influence
of liquor. Ii would seem surprising when one con-
siders the suffering OF these poor women, that there
are not more cases of husband-murder. But In TACT
tho victims of wife-beaters rarely seek revenge,
and as q rule they encourage their tyrants by
subrnssiveness which is the despair OF magistrates
and philanthropists. Not day passes but a score
OF trampled wives refuse TO testify against their
brutal husbands, and somo of them viii even per-
lure themselves rather than assist the law IN
furnishing the crimes committed against them.
very startling instance OF this ten
dcncy Is the case OF the poor woman whose
eyes wero deliberately put ont by her iendsh hus-
band yot who evidently would not have informed
against him bat for the action of her neighbors
And what flood OF light Is thrown on the live, oil
n whole class Of women by tho remark OF one OF
these neghbors that she did not In erfere before be-
cause she thought McCarron was only giving his
wife an ordinary boating" Every policeman and
Justice knows that wife-beatng Is really as COM
mon in a certain grade Of society as this remark in
dicates. and probably nearly oil those men OF
experience would saw that 1t is hopeless to try to
stop it, because the victims nearly always take the
part of their oppre'sors. In the end.
This fact for 1t is a fact. Is really the knoty point
I'm the problcm Nor Is the explanation simple but
many sided. There IL the question OF love. which
with woman Is Often very masterfuL The WIFE,
beater may bo "a decent man when sober" as the
atrocious scoundrol McCarron. is said TO have boen
Then he Is usually the bread winner. The wife, III
she has children breads the Intervention OF tho
law because IL h9r husband Is sent mp" she and
her children must starve. Again, II she testihes
against her brute she knows that when he Is re-
leased he will avengc himself on her. OF course
the first natural question Is. why do women not
secure divorces from such husbandsi There are
many reasons. largo proportion OF the beaten
wives belong TO church which does not recognize
divorce. Many of thcm. again. are so encum-
berd with childrou that they would not
know how TO support themselves. As TO
inyentinq penalties which will protect the
women the method Is of doubtful possibility Whip
ming would clearly express the view of society no
doubt. but would it render the relations between
man and wife any tendercr IL man Is brute
enough to beat q woman, and the woman is so
situated that she cannot will not deliver herself
from tho torment it is very difficult to effect re-
form Society might undertake to divorce such
COUPLES arbitrarily as IL does indirectly in many
States by making felon OF the wife-beater, and
making felony ground for divorce; but then II de-
prlyos the wife OF tho means of support, and this
tends 10 deter many victims from seeking redress.
II IA indeed n very difficult problem. and thus far
mn State or Nation has succeeded solving II salts
factorily, though certainly 1t is question which
oupht TO be settled. since tho existing state Of
things Is q disgrace to civilization