The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-09
Women in Turkey.

not compelled to even ask her Opin-
ion about the matter. He is free in
the premises, SO long as he does not
exceed four wives. The only instance
where the consent of the wife is re-
quired is in case the husband wants
to marry cousin or an aunt of hers.
She may oppose and prevent such an
alliance. If he insist, in spite of her
opposition, he must repudiate the
wife and pay her dover. This some
times is very difficult thing to do.
The dover is obligatory, though it
Is not necessary that it should be
part of the contract. Its amount is
fixed by agreement. AS rule it
varies according 10 the socia. condi
ton of the woman. Thus, in case no
dover has been allowed. as often hap
pens, the judge fixes it under the
law; and although the law has fixed
some limits to it, still it is left to the
discretion of the judge. He may
make it sufficient for the kind of lily
ing to which the woman has been
accustomed.
In making the dover obligatory,
the code has in view principally
provision for the repudiated wife.
The code means that she shall have
decent support for the period of time
she is forbidden to marry. This
period is six months. Dover is in
tended also as a shield against too
frequent regulations. 1t happens
often that though the husband is de-
sirous of regulating his wife he finds
it impossible to pay her dover ; SO he
abstains from repudiating her. The
law files the dover to five hundred
drains of silver, or sixty-five ounces
of silver. This is but pittance now
a-days; but it was fixed by the
prophet. This is the amount which
he assessed for his own ~ yes. 1t
must have been adequate for the few
necessities required by woman
among the Arab tribes at Mecca and
Medina thirteen hundred years ago.
Besides, it was fixed at an epoch
when silver was scarcer than it is
now, and before bonanZas of the
white metal had leaped out of the
sunless temples of the earth.
Moreover, anything which is cap
able of being legally acquired may
be made in payment of dover, eX-
ceDt wine and hogs! One of the odd
forms of dover is the teaching of
chapter Of the Koran by the husband
to the wife. 1t is a pious, though
pecuniary equivalent! Dover also
may be a slave, or a house, or any
thing of value. If the husband is
not able to furnish them he is liable
for their value. The dover may also
be agreed upon after the marriage.
The wife may eXonorate the husband
from the dover, or she may commute
it for something else. She becomes
the proprietor of the dover, and may
legally dispose of it; but should the
husband divorce her before the mar
rage is consumated, the half of it
reverts to him. Should she forgive
him that which belongs to her. the
whole would be his. If a slave be
assigned as dover. and she should
emancipate the slave, and she is di-
vorced before the cOnsumation of the
marriage, she is liable for half the
value Of the slave. In cause of dis
pute with regard to the amount of
the dover, the word of the husband
is preferred until the contrary is
proved whereas, if he acknowledge
the amount stated as the dover, and
alleges its delivery, but fails to prove
it, credit is given to the word and
oath of the woman.
The code provides as to the time to
be DEVOTED by the husband to each
one Of his wives, in case he has more
than one. This rule of law has its in
itiatiye in the organic law that each
man has right to four wives. and
that man has the absolute disposal
of all the hours of the day for him
self. The law allows no right to the
wife to claim the attention of her hus.
band during the daytime. 1t creates
an obligation upon the husband to
divide the rest of his time equally
between his wives, or at least he is
not bound to make his court, or to be
with one wife more than once in
every four days, and this whether he
has one wife or more. If among his
wives there is a slave. she has the
right only to receive half the time
allotted to the free wife. This does
not include slaves or odalisqUes who
are not lawfully married.
The temporary marriages being
admitted only by the Sheeahs, and
these temporary contracts not being
under general MolIammedan law, it