Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-02-05
WOMEN ARE SLAVES.
SHOCKING CONDITION IMPOSED UPON
THEM IN CHINA.

1t Is Terrible Misfortune to Be Born q
Girl-Wives Have No Rights at All-Cast
Aside When They Lose Their Charms.
Reform Needed In the Celestial Kingdom.
"The women Of China, or at least
those of the coast cities" said a gentle
man who has been living in China for
several years, are neither riding BIZ
cycles nor wearing boomers, nor yet
again are they making those strenuous
efforts to secure suffrage which charac-
terize some Of their American sisters.
Still, while l can't say that I am
woman's rights man, am free to con-
fess that would not oppose such
movement in China, even if it went to
the extreme Of giving the women all
that the most radical of them claim,
for the condition Of women in the Celes-
tial kingdom calls for reform with q
big r. Among the highest classes wom-
en- have position considerably higher
than in the middle and lowest classes,
but the best that the Chinese social sys-
tenn can do for women is not far above
slavery. When woman marries, be it
to mandarin or cody, she becomes his
slave to all intents and purposes, and
when he dies, she is the property of his
mother if the old lady is living. OF
course they don't call it slavery in
China, but our American women would
call it slavery of the rankest kind. Nor
is the wife entitled to hold even the po-
sition she does alone. There are other
wives or women who must be recognized
by the wife as having certain rights that
she must respect. True, she is wife No
1 and is recognized as the head Of the
wifehood, SO to speak, and she holds her
place as long as she is faithful, but not
withstanding the pre-eminence Of her
position it is not such one as would be
at all satisfactory to the average Ameri-
can woman. Wives of this kind are only
found among the higher classes or those
we'll to do, because among the poor the
expense Of having more than one woman
in the family cannot be borne.
GAS soon as o woman is born in a
Chinese family the question arises what
shall be done with her. A girl baby is
not what is wanted, as rule, and par
ticularly SO among the poor, for she
must be cared for and does not pay for
her keep, as the male children do when
they are grown. If the people are ex-
tremely poor and there are already girls
in the fold, the latest girl baby disap-
pears mysteriously. Possibly the river
could tell where the body is, possibly
not. In any event that girl baby is gone
like the extra kittens that used to ap-
pear about our homes when we we're
children. If there are no other girls, one
will be kept, and in due time, say
when she is 10 or 10 years Of age, she
will be disposed of to man who is to
become her husband for consideration
He pays whatever the stipulated sum
may be; she is delivered at his door; a
feast and fireworks may follow in cele-
bration of the event, or may not, and
her slavery begins.
"Chinese husbands are extremely
Jealous, and their wives are kept in such
seclusion and have SO few opportunities
their health is soon undermined and
death comes to them early. I can scarce
" recall having seen more than half a
dozen gray haired women during my
entire residence in the country.
"When a woman is old, she is nc
longer attractive to her husband, and
though he ostensibly cares for her he
takes to himself young and attractive
woman and lets the old one 60 out and
do such work as she can find. A great
many women go about from house to
house patching and darning old clothes,
and they are known among foreigners
as ssew-sew' women. They sit on the
doorsteps of the houses where they hap
pen to get some work to do and sew
there, because if they are permitted te
come inside they will be likely to stea
a good deal more than the clothes are
worth. Their earnings are very small
and so also is the expense Of their llv
ing. Wives are not hardworking WON
en- usually except the wives Of sampar
and Junk men, who, with their families
comprise the teeming boat life Of China
Here the women stand shoulder tt
shoulder with their husbands, doing ex
actly the same kind Of work, rowing
carrying freight or luggage and having
in addition the burden of their children
ga sampan woman carries her baby
strapped on her back, and to it she hal
strapped floater of wood, SO that II by
any mischance the little one falls init
the water it may be fshed out befor'
going to the bottom. These sampal
boats are very small, a cabin not be1nl
much larger than three feet III width D.
six or seven in length, and in this small
space sometimes two families, and BIZ
ones, will live. Here the children ar
born, and here they are cared for, slcl
or we'll, and here must go on all tn
priyacies of life. Naturally the mora
standard among these women is no
high. and it is safe to say that not on
man in 100, 900 will refuse to surrende
his wife for money, nor will any Wit
object to such surrender, provided tn
transaction be brought about through
third party with a certain show OF sc
crecy. 1t is the same If there be
dauehter in the family, though unma'
ried or unattached daughters are ez
tremely scarce. In fact, there are no o.
maids in China. Every girl, unless ma
formed, is sure to have husband
some kind to start with, though sh
may not have him for great man
years. s.-Washington Cor. New 4or