The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-06-27
In WOMEN'S DEFENSE.
BILL ARP WRITES STRONGLY AND FEEL.
INGLY IN HER BEHALF.
The Trials of Married Life-They are
Awful to Contemplate Even With
the Best of Husbands-Few Women
Receive the Kindness and COnsidera-
tioa They are Entitled to.

Receive the Kindness and COnsidera-
tiOa They are Entitled to.
Bill Arp, the Georgia humorist anC
philosopher, has been thinking and
writing about woman-her unfair
treatment and hard lot when ill
mated by marriage, her unequal
chance in the race of life, etc. We
are sure the following will be read
with interest. He says:
Before the war woman was more
honored, more respected than she is
now. She stood side by side with her
husband as his equal partner in every
thing that became wife or 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 trousseau, the attendants and the
fulsome description in the mornings
paper are Of more consequence. Fast
women and faster men are married
nowadays, but not mated. "Who
giveth this woman away?" said the
preacher, and a fast young man in the
gallery whispered to his companion:
81 could, but l won't" Before the
war maidenly modesty was at a pre-
MUM, but now in society i. is sat dis
count. A girl must be fast to attract
attention and catch lover. The pu
rity of both is suspected-purity OF
thought and person and hence divorces
follow right along in the wake of mar
riages. They have increased largely
in late years. A suit for divorce was
rare thing in the days of our fathers.
So was separation-so were suicides
so was case of lunacy. Some say
that these things we're as common as
now, but we did not hear of them, for
there were few newspapers and no tel
egraph. This is great mistake.
Since the war divorces have doubled
and lunatics trebled according to our
white population and suicides follow
right along with them. The race be-
tween crime and morality is neck and
neck, especially in our cities. How
many weeping women who have been
deserted by their husbands! How
many are supporting vagabonds whom
they call husbandl How many are
enduring oppression and cruelty that
they dare not disclose! Only a few
days ago a man was tried in our court
for beating his wife. He pleaded
guilty, thinking to get off lightly, and !,
when interrogated by the judge, said
he only slapped her twice. The pitt
full wife was there and the judge asked
her if he slapped her often. She re-
luctantly answered: eyes sir, when
ever he gets mad" "Does he ever
beat you or kick you?" asked the
Judge. eyes sir,' she said. Her an
swers satisfied his honor that he was a
brute and he sentenced him to the
chain gang for the full term. A tri-
fling young man married the daughter
of one of my tenants. After 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: "I have whooped
her and whooped her and it don't do
her 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, unsuspect.
ing girls who tied themselves in matri-
monial chains to such men. No won
der we call them chains, for the wife
cannot break them when she chooses
though the husband can. Will the
time never come when the breaking o
the marriage vow by tine man shall
t entail upon him the same disgrace
: that follows the unfaithful wife? Wher
will woman stand side by side will
man? There was time in the blessed
past when it was almost universal 70
her to receive homage and protection
!, from husband and father and brothe
. and children. The idea of woman
suffrage was then not entertained. Sh
/ had love and support and protection
e and that was all she wanted. Blu
t now sad and serious change has com
S over the condition of woman. Their
> are thousands who cannot marry an
:. have neither support nor pro:ectio
a 'a and hence they have TO become brea
- winners and protect themselves. The
N are in the stores, the shops, the coun
,e ing rooms and school houses all ov.
a the land. They are doing the bus
a ness of the men and should have Il
ne rights and privileges ofthe men in Sc
's ular affairs. AS John Temple Grav
said in his beautiful address at A,her
the argument in favor of woman's S ST
frage cannot be answered.
:. The trials of woman's married 1
es are awful to contemplate. The pal
r. and perils of maternity-the consta
n y, care of children in infancy and you
sr the watchful days and sleepl
5 nights. The not unfrequent loss Of
,ss "a husbands love when she has lost |
ly charms. The grief over a wanderi
y. son or all unfortunate daughter. +
,, helplessness in poverty or old age
u, sickness. Her liability to femin
Of diseases % which the men are not 81
90 ject. Her constant confinement
IT home, or her house, or it may be
OF prison. When all these perils are c.
rs si,ivrei is II not wonder that Z
'ch lhIugh;ful woman will venture vi
in that sea that has wrecked so many
her SEX?
AZ If trouble and grief could be mt