Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-10-11
Especial correspo pondence.l

Is determined Dy the same law as that OF
horses or cattle, the law of supply and de-
mand determining their value as an article
of trade In this respect they are on the
same footing as those of ancient times, when
they were bought and sold and looked upon
as personal property. And the China of our
day is a reflex of the civilization of an
early period Of the worlds history. They
have not changed in their regard of woman,
and she holds essentially the same or similar
position now as she did then.
Men sell their daughters or wives to each
other for wives or concubines, and fathers
generally provide for the marital welfare of
their sons by buying a girl baby to be the
future wife of the son. The transaction is
politely called 'sinfantile betrothal," but in
reality it is purchase pure and simple and
Is recognized by law as legitimate and bind
ing upon both parties to the transaction. The
deal is made binding by the payment of an
agreed upon sum in hand paid, at the time of
the contract, and in law the 'sbetrothed,
couple are looked upon henceforth as man
and wife, and in the event of the death of
either party, the other is a widow or widower
as the case may be- But in the event of the
death of the son, the betrothed or purchased
bride remains the property of the purchasing
party, and is disposed of by them.
Female infanticide is an outgrowth of this
bartering in women, as when girls are too
plentiful they will not bring enough money
IN the markets to pay for the labor and ex-
pense of their bringing up, and the law gives
the parents the right Of life over the child, in
order to keep the stock down to a paying basis.
In other words, they have sort of estab-
lished ''trust" in babies, and parents keep the
market cornered by drowning the surplus ar
rivals when their sex is of the wrong kind, l
do not know whether the law permits the
killing Of male children or not, but no case of
its being enforced in the case of boys has
come under my observation, and as it is re-
garded as extremely desirable that men leave
q male progeny to perpetuate the name and
do homage at the ancestral tomb, am in
clined to think that the law applies to girls
only. So common is the habit Of female in
fanticide that the finding Of their dead bodies
floating in the rivers or canals excites no
comment or emotion. Failure to bear male
children is regarded as sufficient cause for
either selling wife or adding another to the
domestic circle, as polygamous marriages are
legal.
Theruling prices for women vary according
to the grade of society and the numbers avail
able. Any unusual disturbance in the busi-
ness prosperity of the country tends to dis
turb the ruling values Of women During
the devastating famine Of 1s75-s, when an
estimate made by the government authorities
placed the number of deaths from starvation
at 0,OO0, 600 Of people. many rice speculators
from the southern provinces carried cargoes
of rice to the famine districts, and, as money
was scarce, they traded extensively for wo-
men and girls, and brought them south by
boat loads, which glutted the market and run
prices down to a ruinously(D low figure. But
the number of unmarried men is very great
in proportion to the population, and this
enabled many to indulge in the luxury Of a
wife, whose means ordinarily would not ad-
NIT of it.
The sum of $500, or even more, is sometimes
paid by the nabobs for likely girl; but I
was once offered a wife for $40, and the wo-
man making the offer assured me that it was
q dirt cheap bargain. She said the girl was
strictly sound and her feet were no longer
than that, holding up her hand and indicating
about three inches as the length Of her pedal
appendages. III
She offered to submit the girl to inspection
if any doubts fingered in my mind as to the
truth of her statements and representations,
She said the girl was her ''niece, I" but she was
more likely her daughter or daughter-in-law.
All negotiations of this class are made BY
smiddlemen," or ''go betweens." as they are
called, and these middlemen are usually
women, as match making is one of the few
learned professions to which women are eligi-
BILE. They get q percentage of the price paid
for their fee, and | imagine liberal s'tip"
from the intending buyer will go far toward
securing bargain. This professional match
making custom could not be introduced in
the United States, as American ladies are
noted for their indisposition to meddle with
the courtship affairs Of their neighbors' daugh-
tera
Love OF sentiment can have no possible
place in system Of marriage where the con-
tracing parties are entirely passive, and
whose destinies are, as it were, '.in the hands
OF their friends, as Office seekers say. The
parties interested never see or speak to each
other during the preliminary engagement,
nor until they are registered as husband
and wife. With the Chinese, marriage is q
cold blooded commercial transaction, and &C
cepted by both parties with stoical indiffer.
ence as to such little points as personal afini-
ty or affection. Whether there comes to exist
any sort Of sentiment allied to that which Is
supposed to exist between husbands and
wives in our country, is matter Of some
doubt; but it is not unlikely that sort Of
friendship or regard arises from the marital
relation after years Of association. But
whether Il exists or not makes no difference
with the fact Of the marriage. The only
alternative the women have is to end their
soerows, II they have any to end, BY suicide,
And suicide Is very common, and more COM
mon with tho women than the men. n
man finds his lot too intolerable, he can trade
or I'll his spouse; but no such option. 4 open
70 the woman, hence her final appeal to Z atub
or river.
The women e the r. espins cl.s are to