The age-herald., 1897-09-12

his wife. He believes in Ihe sacredness of marriage, the holiness of home
 It may be admitted that the deserted wife did wrong, and that the man who cared for her and her worse than father less children also did wrong, but certain Iy he had done nothing for which he de- served to be murdered.
 A woman finds that her husband is in false, and tn: question Is whether it is her right to kill the other woman. The wronged husband has always claimed that the man led his wife astray; that he had crept and craw1ed into his Eden; but now the wronged wife claims that the woman seducsd her husband; that she spread the Get, wove the web ana bafted the trap in which the innocent husband was caught. Thereupon she kills the other woman.
 In the first plac+, how can she be sure of the facts? How does she know whose fault it was? Possibly she was to blame herself. 1t
 But what good has the killing done? It will not give her back her husband s love. It will not ccol the fervor of her Jealousy. It will not give her better sleep or happier dreams
 It would have been far better if she had said to her husband: "Go with the woman you love. do not want your body without your heart, your presence without your love"
 So it would b= better for the wronged husband to say to the unfaithful wife: "Go with the man you love. Your heart is his. l am not your master. You are free.,'
 After all, murder is poor remedy. If you kill a man for one wrong, why not for another? If you take the law into your own hands and kill a man because hs loves your wife and your wife loves him, why not kill him for any injury he may inflict on you and yours?
 In a civilized nation the people are gov erned by law. They do not redress their own wrongs. They submit their differ ences to courts. If they are wrong5d they appeal to law. Savages redress what they call their wrongs. They ap- peal to knife or gun. They kill; they as- sassinate; they murder, and thsy do this to preserve their honor. Admit that the seducer Of the wife deserves death, that the woman who leads the husband astray deserves death; admit that both have justly forfeited their lives, the question yet remains whether the wronged hus- band and the wronged wife have the right to commit murder.
 If they hava this right, then there ought to be some way provided for as- certaining the facts Before the husband kills the ''betrayer," the fact that the wife was really led astray should be es- tablish=d, and the "wronged" husband who claims the right kill, should show IndI ne ndu Deen d SOOu, lONiuS anu u uS husband.
 As a. rule. the wives of good and gen. erous men are true and faithful. They love their homes, they adore th+ir chill dren. In poverty and disaster they cling the closer. But when husbands are indo- lent and mean, when they are cruel ana s.lfsh, when they make a hell of home. why should we insist that their wives should love them still?
 When the civilized man finds that his wife loves another, he does not kill, he does not murder. He says to his wife, You are free"
 When the civilized woman finds that her husband loves anotherr she does not kill, she does not murder. She says to her husband: q am free" This, in my judg- ment, is the bett4r way. It IS in accord ance with a far higher philosophy of life, of the real rights of others. The civllzeu man is governed by his reason, his in- telligence; the savage by his passions. The civilized man seeks for the right. re- gaTdless of himself; the savage fer re- venge, regardless of the rights of others.
 I do not believe that murder guards the sacredness of home, tha purity Of the fireside. I do not believe that crime wins victories for virtue I believe i'll liberty and I believ+ in law. That coun- try is free where the people make and honestly uphold the law. I am opposed to the redress of grievances or ths pun ishment of criminals by mobs, and l am equally opposed to giving the "wronged' husbands and the "wronged" wives the right to kill the men and women they suspect. In othsr words, I believe In civilization.
 A few years ago a merchant living In the West suspected that his wife and bookkeepes- were in love. One morning he started for distant city, pretending that hs would be absent for couple or weeks. He came back that night and found the lovers occupying the same room He did not kill the man, but said to him: ",Take her; she is yours. Treat her we'll and youyewill not be troubled. avenger."
 He did not kill his wife, but said: we part foreve.s You are entitled to one half of the property we have accumu- lated You shall have it. Farewsll!
 The merchant was civilized man--a