The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-05-19
WoMAN'S RIGHTS LONG AGO.
About the New Woman of the Seventeenth
Century.

About the New Woman Of the Seventeenth
Century.
The oldest woman's rights docu-
mont has been unearthed in the Univer-
sity Library of the city Crakow. Cali
cia. 1t is dated from the year 1886 and
is in the form of an address presented
to King Ladislaus w of Poland by
the women commissioners" of Great
er Poland and Lithuania The Two.
men commissioners" it seems, were
elected in the same way, by the fe-
male population, as the Deputies to
the Diet were chosen by their male
compatriots, with that difference,
however, the Deputies had the right,
and, indeed, the duty, to make them
selves personally heard, while the
women could make their wishes
known only by petitions addressed to
the king or the Legislative body. The
document opens with broadside
against long courtship, as follows:
Whereas, The young men of this
country have taken to indulging in
almost endless courtships which are
liable to W ear out a maids patience,
while at Tie same time being a heavy
expense to her parents, who must nec-
essarily entertain and feed the groom
while he pretends to become better
acquainted with his future wife, there
fore, be it resolved, that the Diet make
it unlawful for any man to WOO
maid longer than twelvemopth; that
is to say, no man shall be allowed to
defer marriage, after proposing to a
maid, more than years time. In
June of every year the parents of a
maid shall have the right to demand
of any wooer of long standing either
to declare himself as to his intentions
or withdraw his suit.
Paragraphs II and III. demand a
law which guarantees to every maid
the right to choose her own husband,
and at the same time thunders against
the old-time practice of marrying for
money. During carnival man has
plenty of opportunity to b;conie &C.
quaipted with the talents and charms
OF any lady," says the memorial. "A
gentleman meeting a maid at that Pc
ricd Of the year should therefore be
we'll able to decide by June 1 whether
or not he wants to become her hus-
band. II he resfuses to do so it is
clearly from ill-will, and the law
should fine him a thousand forins,
which money is to be applied
toward the maintenance of orphan
maids.
Paragraph vi. proposes a law pro
viding for lhe establishment of a mar
riage mart to be held in each province
every four years. MEN and women
having attained the proper age for
marriage shall attend this mart and
try to dispose of their heart and hand
unless they are engaged or hope to be
be in the near future" The women
commissioners seem to assume that
Polish girls will gladly EN- Drace this
opportunity for choosing husbands
among great numbers on parade, but
ara not so as to the men. They there
fore propose that young men shall be
compelled to attend these fairs on
pain of being declared Infamous"
Paragraph K. speaks rather dlsre-
spectfu1ly of widows in this fashion:
Whereas the majority of widows, after
burying one, or even'two, husbands, are
so bold as to ensnare young men who,
in point of age, might be their sons.
therefore, be it resolved, that widows
above the age of forty shall be pro-
hioited from marrying-once because
they should give maldens a chance,
and again because at their tims of life
they ought to think of praying rather
than courting."
"Inasmuch as not all women" says
paragraph KILL, "are favored with
good looks, we earnestly recommend
the Diet not to place duty on cosmet
les and other stuffs for beautifying
the human face and form, for every
woman should be allowed to make
herself as pretty as possible, so she
may secure husbsnd for herself.
This will be a well-nigh impossible
TASK if the state adds to the cost OF
cosmetics, etc, by burdening them
with taxation"
Paragraph XIX. of the women COM
misioners' memorial voices long felt
want in those warlike times, as fol.
lows: "Able bodied men are wanted
in the household, as the provider OF
large families, as husbands OF sturdy
maidens able to propagate the noble
Polish race. Nowadays the authori-
ties appear to regard such parsons as
good enough to march behind the
drum and Fife and spend their life's
blood on the battlefield. We there
fore pray that law be promulgated
making it crime for recruiting 9th.
GERS to engage any man for the army
unless he be criminal or physically
unfit to serve as the husband of some
good woman"