Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-06
WRITTEN roR THE prspArcu.l

| Win ILLS law confronting ner, Sne says,
she saw plainly that she must declare her
intention to become a citizen if she wanted
to retain her property, or borrow money
upon it. She then went to the proper Off
Ger to be naturalized. The first question
here was: care you male 81 years or up
ward?' Of course the answer could be
nothing but "no," with the additional re-
mark that as the Legislature had passed a
law confscating her property if she did not
take out papers, and become citizen she
was anxious to do so.
| had TO DEPEND ON HER HUSBAND.
Her application was met with smiles of
| derision, and the clerk told her that in the
| great State of Texas women were not nat
| uraIized as citizens; that, if her husband
was citizen she was one too, and if he was
| not, then he would have to take out papers
and make her one in his name. To this she
| replied that she had earned this property
by her own labor; that it was recorded in
her own name, and that she paid the taxes
on it. The law did not allow her to hold
the property unless she became citizen,
declare intentions or to take out
papers as citizen. After vast
deal of trouble and considerable
expense in lawyerss fees. she succeeded in
securing the money she desired. Such an ex.
perience opened her eyes to the inequality
OF the law, and she endeayored to have it
shown up In the newspapers, but not one of
them, as she relates, would publish an item
upon the subject. This shows they have
very one-sided ideas as to what constitutes
fair play in the Lone Star State.
In South Carolina, which is held up as
the model State in which no divorce can be
secured, it may be supposed that domestic
felicity is assured, that men and women
knowing that marriage for them meant a
sentence for life accommodated themselves
to circumstances, aud in case of mistake,
settled down to the acceptance of bad
bargain, the parties taking each other liter
ally and TRULY "for better or for worse" as
the church service prescribes.
WOMEN GET THE WORST OF IT.
The hardship of this law falls upon the
women in most cases. They are utterly de-
pendent upon their husbands for everything.
Food, clothes and the comforts of life can
be doled out to them either literally or
scantily, at the husbands option. Wives
in that state are held subordinate by both
church and law, as were the negroes before
the war. One woman who before her mar
riage had inherited a plantation from her
father and some houses in neighboring
town, which produced a good income, said
she was as poor as the wife of any laborer at
a dollar a day.
Her husband collected and pocketed the
proceeds of her estate for his own gratifca-
tion, while she lived sad and narrow life,
with Only the hope of heaven to give her
comfort. ''fo go to God in prayer, to cast
her burden on the Lord" was all the advice
she got from her pastor. The church COM
dod horf 70 ha Oh 90 hor
her lot in life, sad as it was, had been Or
dained for her by decree of Provi-
dence for some wise and mysterious
purpose. So said her spiritual teacher.
There would be lot of comfort in this, if
she could acquire the faith of st. Lawrence,
who got himself up to the point of dis
pising everything in the world that was de-
and suffered sorrow patiently as
q forerunner of eter-al bliss. Millions of
people sing
When can read my title clear
To mansions in the skies
I'll bid farewell to every fear,
And wipe my weeping eyes.
but it is not borne in upon the most of them
to submit cheerfully to misfortune and
smile where there is cause for tears.
WOMEN OWNED BY MEN
Although our spiritual teachers are con-
tinually teaching submission and promising
no end of compensation in the future. It !
would seem more to the purpose to stir up |
such agitation as would move mems minds |
to repeal laws that are manifestly unjust |
and injurious, and in which are exhibited |
the barbarism of past ages. The idea of |
ownership by q man, and subsection upon the |
part of woman is presented in the marriage
ceremony by the question of the parson:
'sWho giveth this woman to be married to
his man." This, which is only form of
words in these days, when woman has the
right and power to enter into such contract
If her own free will, is survival of the
I'D civilization which held that wives and
marks this question as most absurd rs that
wen widow must have a man to give her
Iway. The Infanta of Spain, Philips
laughter, of only years was bargained
or by the Regent of France for the
wife of Louis XIV. The conditions of
he contract then made by Philip,
Who was rigid Catholic, were,
irst, ''that the Bulla Unigenitus should be
orced into the unanimous acceptance of the
'lergy of France, and secondly, that the
conscience of the young King should be
onfded to the care of Jesuit confessor."
These conditions being complied with, the
|
ated for her position. For some reason
he proposed marriage became distasteful,
nd the Infanta was sent home to her father,
much to his wrath. Another bride for polit-
cal reasons was selected-no love about it.
The ill-fated Marie Antoinette was traded
If in the same manner for state reasons,
nd marriage was thus degraded as matter
# diplomacy. To this day royal daughters
re held in ownership to be bestowed in
marriage as best suits the interest and
chemes of those in power.
WORDS THAT DO NOT COUNT.
Another part of the church service that
orms constant subject for jest and ridi- I
ule is that in which the man, prompted by
he minister, without generally either con-
liberation or sincerity, says: "With this
ing 1 thee wed, and with all my worldly
oods 1 thee endow in the name of the
ather, and of the Son, and of the Holy
ihost. Amen" Everybody knows that
$ rule they do nothing of the kind with
heir worldly goods. In fact, in many of
he States he not only does not endow her
nth anything, but takes from her the
wnership of every dollar and deed she
assesses The chivalry of Kentucky en-
odied that right for men in their recently {
dopted new Constitution. In that State. ,
nd notably in the Southern States, wife
!, as Blackstone puts it, "a perpetual !
lin0r % Her husband oune har Chakar- | ,