The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-12-31
TN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
THE WIFE'S ALLOWANCE.

She should He Treated Either AZ q Part
ner or m Employe In the House.
This question is often asked: us
mans wife to be regarded, on the busl-
ness side. as partner with individual
rights as we'll as joint liabilities; as
official, acting under orders,
and with little or no responsibility; or
as a mendicant? In one or the other of
these positions wife must necessarily
stand, and it is just as well that it
should be clearly understood from the
outset which Of them she is to fill.
As partner in the domestic firm she
must have an equal right to draw her
share Of the profits. even though the
other partner keeps the books and has
the money passing through his hands
The partner in . business firm,
through whose hands the money passes
does not claim any superiority over his
fellow who actively superintends the
from which the cash re-
suits lie does not, merely because he
handles the money, talk of giving his
partner what he pays him; he knows
that the money belongs to his partner
as much as to himself
This is surely the way in which the
partnership ought to be view
ed, from the business standpoint In
the great majority of cases the wife
works as hard as the husband, though
in different way. Her management
of the household and the children, IL
done. is usually to be set
against his work at his place of busi-
ness-it is equally essential to the mar
riage partnership: and though there
are exceptions, the normal state of
things is for the wife to be as hard
worked at home rs is her husband
abroad. and, therefore, to be entitled to
equality in the profits of the partner
ship.
Supposing, however the husband is
not to be convinced Of the strict justice
Of this theory, the wife has strong
plea in reserve.
IF am not partner" she may fair
" say. 4 have . just right to be re-
garded as an employc. II I am not q
partner. / at least render certain sery-
ices to the household, and | claim as
my right whatever compensation would
be paid to any third person for the
same services. Put it as q matter of
equal partnership or OF employment,
whichever you please, only do not evade
the obligations Of both"
This at least. is reasonable; il the
wife is simply an official, let her be
paid as such, and let her call what she
receives her own. Whether as house
keeper, governesA or cook. . wife
saves for her husband. but the savings
belong to her. not to him.
when my wife asks me for money,
give it her." says one husband. We
don't question his perfect willingness
to do SO for one moment, but why
should the wife ask for what is already
her due? A man who earns his living
likes to feel that ut certain fixed time
his wages will be absolutely his; he
will not have to ask. and his employer
can entertain no feeling of giving"
Only long and patient observation
can enable any mere man to under
stand the continual and unjust humili-
alton suffered by multitudes of admira-
bic women-the pinching and contrivA
ing and patient enduring they will un-
dergo-bccausc Of this perpetual ordeal
of asking their husbands for money.
The husband may be the best natured
man living; the wife may know that
asking means receiving; but that which
annoys her is the asking itself
In many >ases the money is paid
without it. know. as an allowance"
but in that case the word is still one
which implies favor given and re-
ceived; it is not an allowance" pop
erly speaking, but is simply her share Of
the income, If you regard her as part
ner; or her salary, If you view her as
an employe.
A woman needs this sense OF inde-
pendencc. At present there exists an
amount OF soreness and chatting and
secret unhappiness in the hearts of ap-
parently happy wives which could be
instantly removed by the certa nty of
even q very small income which they
could call their own.
In no case should wife be made q
mendicant A wife and mother, highly
honored by all who knew her, was
heard to declare that she would never
consent to tho marriage of her daugh-
tcrs without definite understanding
that whatever money they were to
have from their husbands should be
paid them regularly at stated times
And she added: mo man can possibly
understand how . sensitive woman
shrinks from asking for money; if l
can help it my daughters shall never
have TO ask for it."-Vienna (Austria)
News.
AS DEPOSiTORS.