The herald., 1896-06-14

reason and justice, why is not the same
natural, with her maternal. and equal
mental and moral rights as widow and
mother recognized and established? a
just revision of the probate LAWS in the
interest and well-being of the home
would not hold in mortmain for mo-
ment the surviving parent. The sanctity
| of the home would be held sacred and in
violable for the widow and mother, as it
does the husband and father In Hun
gary the widow remains the head of the
family. as the father was. She is mis-
tress of the property, the ewhole of her de-
ceased husbands, as long as she lives,
! and in no way are the family relations
broken up, save by death, and the home
ties severed. But in enlightened Amer
lea such Strees is laid upon the head"
there must be a head" and who but
man should be so regarded? In the name
OF reason, common sense and justice,
what can be higher or greater than the
rightship of motherhood both natural
and divine? But woman does not ask be-
cause OF prenatal or divine right, but
a perfect joint ownership in the off,
spring and property without the inter-
vention of law.
When woman marries she loses her
freedom to all intents and purposes,
Tor she must depend upon the honor and
manhood of her husband, and it is a
blessing that such men are in the ma
Jority, or growing so. for legally" her
earnings under statutory laws (1SS9)
her clothes, her baby. her person, are
his.
Section 156, civil code, says: "The hus-
band is the head of the family; he may
choose any reasonable place or mode of
living, and the wife must conform
thereto. Section 167, and we repeat it,
says: community property is not liza
Die Tor the contracts of the wife unless
secured by pledge, executed by the
husband. A reasonable mode of liv-
ing may be the saloon, because it is a
Iegltlmate business, but if the wife re-
1uses to be supported by the proceeds of
such business, and refuses to live with
MN Ior that, and there are others, to
many high-souled women equally oh
Jectlonable, she then forfeits her right
10 a snare in the community property or
the custody of the children He NAV. he
Goes retain all rights. No matter what
the court may think, the verdict will be
~ Is the law, madam. and we must
MAINTAIN its decision" A husband NAV
spend the earnings of both. or the cbiId,
rens' VINO are minors; he may contract
any debt he may gamble away or drink
up tne substance, she is powerless. her
earnings may go to fill the liquor deal
ers tlii or squandered by licentious
habits. she has no redress She NAV ha
impoverished in the home food snS
clothing not sufficient to keep the woIf
from the door or decent in apparel but
the law will permit an appeal for aid
Tor articles necessary" With what re-
SUITS Such man is capabl of fasten-
ing a stigma upon her fair name. and in
silence woman bears her burden rather
ehan cry out. Section 1877 reads: "Tbe
rather of legitimate, unmarried minor
chilo is entitled to its custody, services
and earnings" Under the law he is NOT
pound to consider the welfare of the
enid: He may put boy behind the bar
ana the mother is powerless, because he
mas the sole right to its custody. SER
vices and earnings" If the notbar
shouid take the child and leave him
under section 20S he is not bound r.
COMPENSATE her if he permits her to live
apart and retain the child
;, she has no grounds for divorce fror,
me thousand nameless and refined cruel
Ties under which some men torture a
sensitive wife, save under section 107 for
Wliiful desertion, wilful neglect and
Haoltual lntemperance must continue
Tor one year before there is ground for.
divorce In that time she NAV have
suffered the tortures of the damned ana
II she deserts him how seldom is iI,stice
rendered - 'N'tiee
And yet women In their Ignorance of
law and politics say: "I have all the
rlshts want" 81 would not turn nv
hand over" to bring about the enfran.
chisement of my sex.
MAY ELMORE RFNSFN