River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-10-07
WOMEN WANT NEW LAWS.
They Have Bcen organizing In Japan
to secure Their Rights

They Have Been organizing in Japan
TO secure Their Rights.
THE japanese ladies are really or
ganizing at last. They are beginnings
strong movement TO amend the Japan
csc laws so that japanese gentleman
that supports another woman besides
his legal wife can be arrested. The laws
are now one sided, yes, very much one
sided. The japanese husband can have
as many wives as he pleases. Not reg
ular wives. you understand. Japan
law let's the husband marry only one
wife. Otherwise, he is guilty of bigamy,
same as here"
This announcement of woman's
independence in he land of silent
wives and maidens that won't be
kissed came from S kishi, a young at
torrey of Toxic. Mr.. Kishi. having prac-
ticed some time in his own city, resolved
to venture forth into western lands 10
see how it was possible for lawyers 10
make an honest living i'm Europe
and America. The study of this intri-
cate problem deta ned Mr.. Kishi six
weeks i'm San Francisco, three months
in Milwaukee and some weeks in Chica-
20. He has now arrived in St. Paul,
where he will enter the law department
of the Great Northern railroad and re
main several months. Eventually he
will proceed to Europe.
Formerly" continued the smiling
white-toothed law pilgrim, that is tG
say, up to p years ago, Japanese gem
tieman could have as many informal
wives as he wished. He was rather
proud of them and showed them in pub
lie. Now sentiment has so changed that
he keeps them hid away. He would be
thought very immoral to exhibit them
in public. Yet he cannot be punished by
law. But this exception in favor of the
men is likely to be done away with
There is a commission now revising our
civil code. That code is based upon the
Code Napoleon. not on the English com
mon law. Our commercial code, how
ever, is modelled after the commercial
code of Germany.
but il is natural for woman TO want
less than man I'm Japan. We consider
that she is equal to man in quality, but
not in quantity. That is the way we ex-
'
different. Man is strong, rough, brave
Woman is weak, gentle, gracious,
timid She must attend TO her home.
Man must go out into business, into
government. into war. We do not mix
occupations as you do here. For exam
pie, the men ride bicycles in Japan very
much more now than before But the
woman-never. \ woman astride of
bicyclel 1t would be too rude, too bold.
She should be at home, not showing her
self upon the streets.
Her costume? Oh. it is almost al
ways japanese. Years ago. perhaps
ten Years, one of our cabinets thought
they would help Japan abroad by per
suading our people to dress like Euro
peans Even the court ladies began to
wear foreign dresses. But the cabinet
went down. The women took back
their native costumes. Now a Japan
csc lady most always wears her ancient
costume. We find that your dresses
are not convenient, as our women sit
about on the floors of our little hous, 5.
But the japanese men are using the
European clothes very generally in our
cities, that is, for business an govern
ment offices and i'm the professions. Eut
when the men get home they take off
these clothes and put on the good old
japanese robes. Then we are comfort
able.'-St. Paul Pioneer Press.