Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-06-20
HIS WIFE'S LETTERS.
Has the Average Husband a Right
to Open Themq
Lady Writer EmphaticaIIy Protest,
Against q Recent Decision by n French
COurt-The Whole Question i'm
a Nutshell.

Against q Recent Decision by n French
COurt-The Whole Question in
q Nutshell.
A few months ago, we all remember it, q
letter intended exclusively for the eyes of
madame fell into the hands of monsieur.
and prestoi a scandal in high life, court
scene, divorce, and madame is left to the
perusal Of her billet doux. At that time the
question: I" Can man open his wife's let
ters" was first raised, and over there in
France the court answered the question in
the Affirmative, and now the wife who en-
joys the privilege of breaking the seals
OF her letters does so through the courtesy
of her husband. Truly, "this is pretty
how dye do"
Happily, America is a law unto herself
observes a woman writer in the Baltimore
american, and, so far as we are concerned,
the question remains unanswered There
is not the slightest doubt in nv own mind
that II 1t were put to our courts they would
follow the precedent set them in France,
and declare that q man has the legal right
TO open his wifes letters, but not vice versa.
Whya Simply because the judges are men,
and we all know that every law which is to
decide between a man and his wife goes in
favor of the man, because men are the law
makers. Now, in the particular case of
monsieur and madame, cited above, there
was plausible excuse for the husband
opening her letters, which proved his sus-
plcions well founded; but as American
wives do not become entangled in the
affairs for which the gay Partisan danes
are famous, there is no reason why a man
should not investigate his wife's CORE
spondence. Indeed, if either should have
surveillance over the other it should be the
wife over the husband, for she would be
sure to discover many more escapades than
would he. Putting aside all such motives
as those influencing monsieur, l claim that
to open his wife's letters is not the right of
any man, and desire on his part to do so
implies distrust and suspicion of his wife
The idea of a woman being treated in her
own home, and by her own husband, as
though she were romantic schoolgirl, to
be watched by vigilant master, and to
have her letters intercepted by him, who
may not give them to her at all if it should
best please him not to do sol 1t is an insult
TO wife to be so treated, and any woman
of spirit would resent it.
Yet there are no doubt men in our own
city even who consider it their prerogative
TO open and read their wives letters, but
would raise the roof if their wives should
return the compliment. l have never met
am sure such exist.
Such superior lights" of husbands lead
US to sermonize little.
What an unequal partnership is matri-
mony after all; both parties make the same
promises at the altar, yet only one is ex-
pected to keep them, and that the weaker
member. Most men seem to think that
their wives should have no opinions, friends
or interests other than theirs. Now, it is all
folly to suppose that because woman mar
ries she must give up her individuality, her
opinions and her correspondence. She is
still responsible being in the eyes of God
and her fellow-creatures, strange as it may
seem. She still has mind and a heart
no, not heart-that she gives to her hus-
band, or is supposed to; and, by the way,
she does not promise him any thing, while
he bestows all his worldly goods upon her,
which, of course, must include his letters,
while in reality he takes hers and keeps his
own.
Charles Dudley Warner, in replying to
the question: Z" Can man open his wife's
lettersp' said that it would depend upon
what kind of a husband he is. / think it
would be nearer right to say it would de-
pend upon what kind of a wife she is
Discretion is the better part of valor," as
many a husband would learn if he made so
bold as to open his wife's letters.
There is scarcely wife who does not
take her husband sufficiently into her con-
fidence to tell him who her letters are from
and to read them to him, or, perhaps, let
him read them himself; but this is a very
different matter from having them first
opened, read and passed upon by one for
whom they were rot intended. OF course,
many women receive letters that never
reach the eyes of their life partners, not
because they contain aught that would not
bear the light of day, not because the wife
is afraid or ashamed TO show them, but
simply because they contain things that are
none of his affair. How often the home let
ters are written only for daughters or sis
ters' eyesi How much of the family cares
can be told her that would be proudly with
held from son-in-law or brother-in-lawl
Then, there are the letters from dear, in
innate girl friends, who pour out the Sc
crets Of their heart upon paper for the SYM
patty and entertainment of sweet Mrs.
Jones, but not for the eyes of sarcastic Mr..
Jones. A very laughahle but sensible
reason for wife Withholding her letters
from her husband was given by con-
temporary not long since.
She said: "These letters contain the con-
LESSONS of another soul, the condolences of
announcer mlnQ, LnaL WOULD pc ruOely treated
if given any sort of publicity. And while
husband and wife are one to each other,
they are two in the eyes of other people, and
1t may well happen that friend will desire
to impart something to discreet woman
which she would not intrust to the babbling
husband of that woman"
That's the whole thing in nutshell. So
we see that a woman of honor may keep her
correspondence from her "better half"
without in any way rejecting discredit on
herself. AS some one has truly said: "The
charm of a letter is gone if read second
hand, the aroma escapes when opened by
another" Half of the pleasure is the eager
expectancy felt while breaking the seal.
Imagine how one must feel while waiting
for her letter to be read slowly and delib-
erately and then carelessly or angrily tossed
to her; / should think she would rather put
them in the fire than read them then. Some
women would.
No. Whether the French think so or not,
husband has no more right to open mis-
wife's letters than has the greatest stranger,
and it is just as fragrant 4 breach of honor
for him to usurp the authority as it would
be for visitor in his house to do so. And
would like very much to know on what he
bases his right to do it other than his wife's
permission.
strychnine for Drunkenness.
Some years since Jarochewsl1, a Russian