San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-15
PERSONAL RIGHTS.

PERSONAL RIGHTS.
Having discoursed at length on
the personal rights of the young
woman before marriage, showing
her absolute right to herself, in so
far at least as the disposal of her.
self in marriage is concerned; the
LIGHT preacher is moved to say
something in reference to the
rights of that same woman after
marriage. The contention in last
Sundays sermon was that the
young girl, before she attains the
legal age at which she can marry
/. independent OF parental consent,
is in right and equity entitled to
an absolute veto of any prospect
i've husband whom her parents de-
sire her to marry. 1t is her abso-
lutte right to reject all or any can
didate for her hand who is not her
supreme choice, no matter what
his character or how favored by
her parents. This for the girl be-
fore marriage.
Having married and transferred
the legal guardianship of herself
from her parents to her husband,
she certainly has not ceased to be-
come a responsible, sentient,
self-governed and self-governing
person. 1t is true that her rela-
tions are changed, both to the
world and to the old home, but
her relations to herself are not
changed. She has the same right
to her person, her liberty, her
pleasure, her particular friends,
her enjoyment of life and all the
rest, that she had before. AS her
rights as girl, unmarried, in her
on existed, not indie
pendently of s rights of Others
but in harmony W th them, so her
rights as wife Kist in harmony
with the relation of a changed
character which Come to her as
wife. Her right5 will be inter-
preted in the light of this new re-
lation.
Whatever may 6r may not be in
volved in this change, from minor
in the house of bier parents to mis-
tress in the hos,se of which she
with her husbanSNis joint head,
it certainly cannot curtail her
liberties. 1t is not a reasonable
supposition that in reaching her
majority she has narrowed the
sphere of her liberties, any more
than that she has curtailed the
scope Of her duties. AS wife heI
liberties are larger and her respon-
sibilities greater than as daughter.
In fact, it is BECAUSE of the in
creased responsibilities that the
liberty must be increased, in order
that there may be opportunity to
meet those responsibilities. On
the same pronounced and accepted
principle of government, that there
should be no taxation without rep
resentation, so here, there cannot
in equity exist an increased re-
sponsibility without increased lati
tude of action in meeting it.
The greater the responsibility
the greater must be the liberty t.
meet it. This is the law in the
world of business, in government
in the conduct of military opera
tions, and in all the great transac
tions of commerce. 1t is the pro
vince of the chief to assume all re
sponsibility. 1t is also his pre-
rogative to demand all liberty. III
an autocratic government this re
sponsibility is unlimited and thu
liberty is unquestioned, both arr
autocratic. In constitutions
government this responsibility i:
constitutional and the liberty en-
joyed is only such as the constitu
ton guarantees. In the constitu
ton Of the home it is the same
The husband is not an autocrat
there, but the responsibilities anC
l;hartias arc constitutional anC