San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-08

ton to account for. You can no
more coerce the one than the other.
Both have their rights. The wind
the right to blow, the affection to
follow the instinct. 1t does not
C hange the fact to declare that the
wind is disastrous one, or the af-
lection a dangerous manifestation.
That budding womanhood, soon
to come into the flower and fruit
age of maturity, has a personal
right to consideration OF all that
involves the exercise of her affec-
tional quality. She has right to
a voice in all that concerns her as
sociations. She has right to at
least vote for the measures OF per-
sonal control that are considered
in the home and that affect herself.
She has right to oppose any dis
position of her affections that is not
sanctioned by her complete APP
proval, and this latter right is abb
solute. This is a point at which
the young woman, regardless of
age, has right to say to parental
authority, "Thus far shalt thou go
and no farther" She has right in
herself greater than her parents
can have, and when the dividing
line is drawn between the conflict.
ing authorities as to her disposal
OF herself, her demarkation must
be accepted.
Upon the training Of the girl
prior to the age in which she be-
gins to seek the society of some in
dividual boy who is sprouting a
moustache, and upon the wisdom OF
her guiding from that time until
the responsibilities of marriage are
assumed, will in great measure de-
pend the happiness or misery of
her married life. The Of repeated
question dis marriage a failure"
will in great measure be answered
here. AS the failure or success af-
feet herself more than any one else,
it is only proper that in all that
concerns this enquiry she be the
authority. 1t will be readily un-
derstood that this is no plea for the
surrender of parental authority, in
any case where it's exercise is clear.
ly called for, but outside of that it
is demand for the concession to
the girls of the largest possible lib
erty in determining their own des-
TIMES in marriage. The right to
control is insisted on.
AS necessity, until the young
woman is legally of age to marry,
she must and should abide by the
restrictions Of parental authority.
She has no right while a minor
and still under their legal contr oil
in the matter Of marriage to enter
into marriage relations without
their consent. This conclusion is
50 obvious it requires no argu-
ment. No account is here taken Of
exceptional cases in which the pa.
rents have forfeited all rights in
their unnatural violation of every
right of the child, but these are
extremely rare and for these there
is a legal remedy.
In Texas young woman is of
age, to contract marriage without
the consent of her parents, at
eighteen years OF age. There is
not one case in ten thousand in
which it will be either necessary or
proper for young women to over
ride this regulation and marry
without her parents consent at a n
earlier age. At this age she can
legally step outside all restrictions
prescribed by her parents and wed
the man of her choice. 1t is as
early as the woman is competent,
as rule, to judge for herself, or at
least to put her judgment in op.
position to that of her parents and
act upon it. While this is true, it
is also true that at no time, or at
any age, or under any circumstan-
ces are the parents or guardians
justified in overriding the rights
OF the minor girl and compelling
her to marry some one who is not
her choice for husband.