The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-07-05
Star
BILL
HE WRITES IN DEFENSE OF MOTHERS
AND WIVES.

wv eoy'
past. When will this thing stop Z?
We don't read OF any husbands muir
dered by their wives. Is the world
getting worse? Is the devil turned
loose In this southern country? Be-
fore the wal woman was more hon
Ored, more respected than she is now.
She stood side by side with her hus-
band as his equal partner In every
thing that became a wife or a mother.
Marriage VOWS were serious and SOL
emn promises then and they were gen.
orally observed, but now the vow,
when recited by the minister, seems a
mere formality and is soon forgotten.
The ceremony, the maids of honor,
the trauseau, the attendants and the
fulsOme description In the mornings
paper are OF nor consequence. Fast
women and faster men are married
nawadays, but not mated. who
giveth this woman away ?" said the
preacher, and a fast young man in
the gallery whispered to his compan-
ion a: II could, but l won't" Before
the war maidenly modesty was at a
premium, but now in society 1t is at "A
discount. A girl must be fast to at
tract attention and catch a lover. The
purity of both is suspected purity of
thought and person and hence divor-
ces follow right along in the wake of
marriages. They have increased
largely in late years. A suit for d.
vorce was a rare thing in the days of
fathers. So was a separation, 81
were suicides, so was a case Of lunacy.
Some say that these things were as
common as now, but we did not hear
of them, for there were few ncwspa-
pers and no telegraph. This is a
great mistake. Since the war divor-
ces have doubled and lunatics trebled
according to our white population and
suicides follow right along with them.
The ace between crime and morality
is neck and neck, especially in our
cities. How many weeping women
who have been deserted by their hus-
bands How many are supporting
vagabOnds whom they call husbands
How many are enduring oppression
and cruelty that they dare not dis
close! Only a few days ago a man
was tried in court for beating his
wife. He pleaded guilty, thinking to
get of lightly, and when Intercepted
by the Judge said he only slapped her
twice. The pitiful wife was there
and the Judge asked her if he slapped
her often. She reluctantly answered:
eyes, sir, whenever he gets mad
"Does he ever beat you or kick you?"
said the Judge. Eyes, sir" she said.
Her answer satisfied his honor that
he was a brute and he sen fenced him
to the changing for the full term. A
tri1ing young man married the daugh.
ter Of n of my tenants. After a
few months he told a neighbor that he
couldn't do nothin' at all with her
and was gwine to take her back to the
old man. Said he Il have whooped
her and who0ped her and it don't dc
her a bit of good" That is the idea
that thousands of men have of the
marriage state. Dominion on his
part and slavery on hers. Alas fol
the women-the credulOus, unsus
pecting girls who tied themselves ia
matrimonial chains to such men Nc
wonder VIZ call them chains, for the
wife cann0t break them when she
chooses, though the husband can.
Will the time never come when the
breaking Of the marriage vow by the
man shall entail upon him the same
disgrace that follows the unfaithfu
wife? When will women stand side
by side with man? There was a tim,
in the blessed past when it was al
most universal for her to receiv,
homage and protection from husband
= and father and brother and children
The idea Of woman suffrage was thel
not entertained. She had love ant
support and protection, and that wa,
all she wanted. But now a sad ant
serious change has come ove the con
ditiOn OF woman. There are thou
sands who cannot marry and hav
neither support nor protection, an,
hence they have To become bread win
ners and protect themselves. The
are in the stores, the shops, the coun
ting rooms and school houses all owe
the land. They are DUNG the busi
ness Of the men and should have tn
rights and privileges of the men il
secular affairs. As John TEMPT
Graves said In his beautiful addres
at Athens, the argument in favor O
woman suffrage cannot be answered
The trials of a woman's marie
HE are AWFUL 10 contemplate. IN
pains and perils Of maternity-th
constant care OF children in infanc
and youth-the watchful days an
sleepless nights. The not ~unfrequen
loss OF a husbands love when she hs
her charms. The grief over a war
derinR o or 40 unfortunate daugl
ter. Her helplessness In poverty {
old age or sickness. Her liability I
feminine diseases to which the me
are not subject. Her constant col
tnement at home or her house, or
may be her prison. When all the.
perils are considered, It Is not a woI
Der that any thoughtful woman wi
venture upon that sea that has wrec)