The Osceola times., 1888-01-07

class let woman steal sheep
does the law soCthc her in these COM
fortin' tones? No; It thunders to her,
in awful accents: You haint no busi-
ness with the law. but the law has q
good deal of business with you, vile
female; start for States prison. You
haint nothin' at all TO do with the law,
only TO pay all the taxes it tells you
to; embrace a license bill that is ruinin'
to your husband; give up your inno-
cent little children 10 a wicked father
if it tells you to, and a few other little
things. such as bcin' dragged of to
prison by it, chained up for life, and
hung, ard ct cetery."
'Methought | once heard the
words, sighs the female, True govern
ment consists in the consent of the
governed rid dream them, or did
the voice of !uny pour them into my
ear?
"'Hain't tola you, frowns the law
on her, that that don't mean wimminP ?
Have ] gott explain to your weakened
female comprehension again the great
iundymental truth tha, wimmen hahn t
included and mingled in the law books
and statutes of the country only in a
condemnin' and punishin' sense, as it
were? Though feel it to bs bendin'
down my powerful manly dignity to
elucidate the subject further. ! will
consent to remind you of the coasolin'
fact that though you wimmeh are,
from the tender softness of your ma.
ture and the illogical weakness of your
minds, unfit from havin' any voice IN
maxim the laws that govern you, yon
have the right, and nobody can de-.
priye you of it, to be punished in a
future world Jest rs hard as a man o.
the strongest intellect, and to be hung
in this world jest as dead as dead
man; and what more can you ask for
you unreasonable female woman youP'
"Then groans the woman as this
great fundymental truths rusbes upon
her: Il can be hung by the political
rope, but ! cant help twist it,
Jest so, says the law.
"'Alasr sithcs the woman to herself
'would that | had the sweet rights Of my
wild and foolish companions, the idiot,
and lunys! But says she, yenturing.
with a beating heart. the timid and
bashful inquiry, ARE the laws alwayl
just, that | should obey them thus i'm.
piicitlyY
"'Idiotsl lunaticsl and wimminl Are
they goin' to speak?' thundcrs the law.
Can | believe my noble right ear2 Can
|, bein' blndfolded, trust my seven
teen sensesP I'll have you under
stand that it haint no woman's busi-
ness whether the laws are just or un-
just, all you have got to do is jest to
obey 'em, so start off for prison, my
young woman
" But my housework,' pleads the
woman. Woman's place is home; it
is her duty to remain at all hazards
within its holy and protectin' pre-.
cincts, How can | leave its sacred
retirement to moulder in State
prison?'
" 'Housework! and the law fairly
yells the words, he is so filed with
contempt at the idee 'HousewOrkn
Jest as if houscwork is goin' to stand
in the way Of the noble administration
of the law! | admit the recklesSness
ani immortality Of her lcavin' that
holy haven long enough to vote; but l
guess she can leave her housework
long enough to be condemned and
hung and so forth
80 But l have got infant, says sle
woman, 'of tender days. How can
go?'
"'That is nothin' to the case says
the law, in stern tones. 'Thc peculiar
of motherhood only units
a female woman from ridin' 10 town
with her husband, in a covered csr-
riage, once year, and layin' her vote
ON pole. I'll have you understand
its no hindrancc to her at all in
cold and naked cell, or IN public
crowded with men,
"As the young women tottcr along
10 prison. is it any wonder that she
sithers to herself:
'Would that | were idiot, Alas,
IS it not possible that l may become
even now a luny? Then | should be re-
spccted.' ".-JoSiah Aliens Wife