The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1897-10-01
WOMEN IN GERMANY.
Recent Laws Tend Towards the Curtail-
ment of Her Privileges.

germany Is CQ0 only country IN the
world which is taking backward steps in
regard to the rights and privileges of
women. The old law, which made the
wife the serf of the husband and OBJ
liberated her individuality in all legal
matters, has not only been recently re-
affirmed, but her rights, privileges and
immunities have been squeezed into an
even smaller compass than before.
For several years a commission, COM
posed of the ablest jurists in Germany
members of the judiciary, the faculties
of the universities and prominent lights
of the bar--has been engaged in the uni
fcation and codiication of the laws of
thirty-one kingdoms, duchies and prln-
cipalities that make up the German en-
pire, to secure uniformity and common
code of practice everywhere throughout
the empire. The new code is completed
and goes into effect two years hence.
When the action of the commission re-
garding the laws that concern women
was made known a petition signed by
$4,000 mothers and wives of the best
citizens of Germany was presented to
the re;chstag protesting against the dis
elimination against them, and demand
ing the same rights, privileges and
liberties and the same Justice that is ac-
corded to the women of England and
France. They asserted that it was an
insult to the German race for the gov
ernment to assume that Its women were
inferior to those of other nations, and
compared the new laws of Germany
with those of other civilized countries to
show the extent of the injustice imposed
upon them.
No attention was paid to the petition,
except indirect condemnation so a con-
gress was gathered, composed of hun
dreds of the best women of the empire,
who made second appeal for greater
consideration in property rights aud
privileges, protection in labor, and en-
couragement in science, literature and
the arts. This was very offensive to the
emperor. He was particularly angry at
the comparison made between the
women of Germany and France, and
said many savage things concerning
SAOSN "AAO "SAS AZ IA4O AhONO-
ment.
In Germany today no woman can con-
troll property; she cannot even control
her own actions; whatever of value she
has acquired in any way belongs to her
father, her husband or her son, and the
law requires her to obey their orders.
When a woman marries all her property
passes into the ownership of her hus-
band forever. He has the legal right to
use or dispose of it in any manner he
chooses regardless of her wishes or pro-
tests. If they are divorced the property
remains with him. When che assents
to the marriage VOW she forfeits inde-
pendence and coufers upon him abso-
lutte Jurisdiction over her mind, body
and estate. He can compel her to work
or do anything else that is lawful for
women to do, and she has no relief or
protection except in public opinion.
Some of the American heiresses who
have married German barons have
learned of this law to their sorrow.
The empress takes no apparent inter
est in the movement for the advance
ment of women. She leaves that for
her mother-in-law. the ex-Empress
Frederick, probably because her i'm
perial husband Is 80 positive in his
views upon such questions. The en-
peror adheres to the Japanese notion,
that women should obey their fathers,
husbands and sons in all things, and
confine themselves to domestic affairs.
Only few months ago the leaders of
. branch of the Women's suffrage move