Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-11-08
AFRICAN W0MEN'S RIGHTS
The Ladies Of the AkOna Tribe Bring
Their ands to Terms.
The Women of Civilized Countries May
Learn a Lesson From the Heather
Women.

Mr.. Paul, who lived for some time in
the CAMERON region, West Africa, tells
of a highly successful woRsn's rights
movement while ago ia the Akona tribe
illustrating the fact that when women
unanimously assert them in saving lands,
as well elsewhere, they are great power
in the community. In that benighted
region women are not supposed to have
any rights. When grl ia 10 or IA years
old she is sold TO anybody who has prop
erty enough to pay the price her father
asks for her and thereafter che works like
g slave for her board and lodging and is
subj ect to al the caprices of her lord
and master. Even the bondsmen in the
community have more privileges than
the free women, aud some of them in
time are able to support rather extensive
harems of thsir own.
IL happened that there we're some
strong minded women among the Akona
people, and they lifted up their voices in
public PLACES in favor of some radical
social reforms that would make the lot Of
woman kind rather more endurable.
They were jesred at, as women reformsrs
have been in Some other lands, and were
advised by the superior sex to keep on
loo root and thank fortdne that their lot
was not less tolerable. Reform WAS evil
IDENTIFY not to be secured by any amount
of feminine protest, and so these strong
minded women put their long heads 30.
gather and decided upon radical and far
reaching measures.
The tribe is u Rfnall one. Nearly all
the admit females in 1t enlisted under the
banner of woman's rights. One day there
was an enormous commotion in that little
comm unity. 1t was almost wholly con.
fined to the msle population, the fact be-
ing that shere was hardly woman there
to share the excitement. The mothers
and wives, in the most unexpected and
heartless manner, suddenly dropped
their i'm plements OF drudgery, ana with
their children in their arms and marriage
able daughters had HE'D then through
the forests TO the territory of another
tribe, wAsre, at distance of eight or ten
miles from their own garden patches,
they were prepared to open negotiations
with the lordIy chapel they had left be-
hind them.
They know beforehand that they would
meet With a hospitals reception in the
tribe with which they took refuge. 1t
happened that this tribe was larger than
the Akons, and did not like them very
we'll, and it ticksled them half to death
to see the pickle in which the Akona men
suddenly found themselves. The women
set themselves to work earning their
daily bread, and waited without q bit of
i'm satienoe for an embassy from home.
IL was not long before the embassy put
in an aupearance.
The Akona tribe was of the opinion
that they could not continue III business
without the female members thereof, p
they wanted the women to come hone.
The particularly strong minded woman
of the refugees said she was glad at last
that the WON IN OF their tribe was de-
sirable element of the Akona people. AS
the women had taken care OF all the men
it WAS evident they were able to take care
of themselves, and they hadn't the slight
est intention of going home, except on
certain conditions, which she specified.
Then the embassy went home TO consult
the chief men, who, as their harems were
the largest suffered the most by the
flight OF the fair SEE.
The women stipulated that they would
CONS back if considerable part of the
agricultural duties Of the community
were in future turned over to the slaves,
if the mothers were permitted to have
something TO say about the disposal OF
their daughters, and If several other con
ditions were complied with. It did not
take long for the gentlemen OF Akona
to decide what to dc, a day or two later
the women went back in high feather,
having gained a complete victory aud
they have been treated very well ever
since.