The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-10-15
WOMEN WANT NEW Avs.
they Have Been Organizing in Japan
to secure Their Rights.


"The japanese ladies are really or
ganizing at last, They are beginning
strong movement to amend the Japan
ese laws so that a japanese gentleman
that supports another woman beside
his legal wife can be arrested. The law!
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. ,Japar
law lets the husband marry only one
wife. Otherwise, he is guilty Of bigamy
same as here"
This announcement of woman's
Independence in the land of silent
wives and maidens that won't be
kissed came from S. Kishi. a young at
torney Of Toxic. Mr.. Kishi, having prac-
ticed some time in his own city, resolved
to venture forth into western lands to
see how it was possible for lawyers to
make an honest living in Europe
and America. The study of this intri-
cate problem detained Mr.. kishi six
weeks in San Francisco, three months
in Milwaukee and some weeks in Chica-
go. 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 to
say, up to % years ago, a japanese gem
tleman 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.
is Il commission now revising our
civil code. That code is based upon the |
Napoleon, not on the English COM
law. Our commercial code. how
ever, is modelled after the comercial |
of Germany.
But it is natural for woman to want
less than man in Japan. We consider
that h is equal to man in quality, but
not in quantity, That is the way we ex-
it. And she is always by nature
INHERENT. Man is strong. rough, brave.
is weak, gentle, gracious,
.imid. She must attend to her home.
Nan must go out into business, into
into war. We do not mix
occupations as you do here. For exam
Die, the men ride bicycles in Japan very
more now than before. But the
voman-never. A woman astride of a
1t would be too rude, too bold.
'he should be at home, not showing her
upon the streets.
Her costume? Oh. it is almost al
ways japanese. Years ago, perhaps
en- years, N of our cabinets thought
hey would help Japan abroad by per-
uading our people to dress like Euro
cans, Even the court ladies began to
foreign dresses. But the cabinet
'ent down. The women took back !
heir native costumes. Now a Japau.
lady most always wears her ancient .
We find that your dresses 2
re not convenient, as our women sit
bout on the floors of our little houses :
nut the japanese men are using the n
uropean clothes very generally in our Il
ties, that is. for business in govern n
'ent offices and in the professions. But II
hen the men get home they take off D
lese clothes and put on the good old D
robes, Then we are comfort. b
Paul Pioneer Press. II