The sun., 1894-03-04
II.

In three successive chapters the author eS-
amines the theories OF Bachofen. OF McLennan.
and Sir John Lubbock regarding the early su-
premacy Of women and wife capture. She re-
iects all OF their hypotheses. on the ground
either that the premises are defective or false.
or that they do not justify the deductions
drawn from them. With reference to the early
type OF social organization founded on the
Mother Right lMutter- -Rechtl she accepts. for
the most part, the views set forth by Morgan
in his Ancient Society. That Ia to say. early
society. under the primitive institution OF the
gems. sept or clan. was established on the basis
OF the rotations OF the individuals to the rest
OF the community. community in which each
member could trace her or his origin back to
the head OF the gems. who was woman. The
fact that. throughout the earliest period OF hu-
man existence regarding which any knowl-
edge is obtainable. descent and all the rights
OF succession were traced through women. Is
pronounced. at the present time. SO we'll es-
tablished as to require no detailed proofs to
substantiate It. Some writer's. indeed. have
contended that it does not follow. from this
usage. that the influence OF women was
preme: but that their In ue ce m lust have been
considerable. IL not preponderant. seems evil
dent from the working OF the laws OF
succession. Under the archaic rule OF the
gems. at the death Of a male. whether married
or single. his possession descended to his sis
ter's children; while at the death OF a female
her property. including her personal effects.
was distributed among her sisters and her
children and the children OF her daughters.
Butt children OF her sons were lot included
among her heirs. The sons children belonged
to the 0entes OF their respective mothers. and
as descent and all the relationships to which
rights of succession were attached were
traced only 10 the female line. and. as property
until the middle OF the second status OF bar
barism was strictly confined TO tho GEMS in
which 1t originated. children could receive
nothing from their father. and must look to
their mother for everything. In later times.
when tribal honors were confined within GER
tain families or groups. as descent and prop
erty right were all traced In tho female line.
each male was dependent upon his female
relations not only for his common inherited
privileges In tho gems. but for any civil or
military distinction to which he might attain.
1t was the gems. then. which carried man
kind through successive stages OF barbarism
to the opening ages Of civilization. At the
hsad OF the gems. controlling the principal
means OF subsistence and forming the line OF
descent and Inheritance. women. until the
close OF the middle status OF bArbarism, seem
to have been tho leading spirits. How came
in the existence OF Mother Right2 With the
deposing power in their hands. and with the
precautions taken by them against injustice
or usurpation Of rights on tho part of mals
saehems and chiefs. It would seem that un-
less some unusual circumstances had come
into play. they would have kept the pIedon-
nance which they originally possessed. How
they came to lose It the author OF this book
undertakes to explain in chapter on the
origin OF marriage 1t Is pointed out that
previously TO the decline Of feminine influence
women taken prisoners in war were not re-
Eardea AS the property oftheir captors. On the
contrary. female eaptiyss were adopted into
the gems and invested with the same status
OF personal indspendsnee as was enjoyed
By the original female members OF the group.
Later however. female prisoners began to be
regarded as the special booty OF their captors
ana as belonging exclusively to them, but
thenceforth, they were not held to be entitled
to any OF the privileges OF the community into
which they were taken. From this epoch in
the history OF the race our author traces the
decline OF womRn's power. and the subsection
OF the natural female impulses toward eonti-
neIcs, modesty. and sslf-eontroL As. at this
stage OF bGrbarism. women within the limits
of their own rribs held the balance OF power
in their own hands. and still exercised unqual-
iisd control over their own persons the ae-
ownership OF one woman who,
being stranger" was without power or in
fuence. would be an object N ueh to be desired
By males and one for which a warrior would
not hesitate to brave the dangers OF "A hostile
camp Henee the women Of hostile tribes
we're sought after singlJ aud in groups and in
process Of time. wars for female slaves or So
called wives became general. till under the
new regime. women had the fear Of captivity
before their eyss. ProE smith
quotes from the advice given by an Arab to
his son 70 show the motive for the preference
Of an eItTa-tribal marriage. says: A." 1t is better
TO have a wife who has o claims OF kin and no
brethren near to take her part" Under earlier
conditions OF the human race. when marriage
did not exist. but instead Of il onIy
= homogeneous union. exclusively con
tTOllsd End tsTminabls by the female women.
as being the bearers aud professors Of
the young. we're regarded as the natural
land oWnsTA Hence women did not leave
their own homes 70 follow the fathers Of their
children. lest they should lose their own pos
sessions and their rights Of inheritance. A
woman who left her own relations for q hus-
baHd Of another geRs went to him destitute