The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-22

Ina Illinois They 10 Not Count for
Much With Husbands

That q devoted and igrepr0acaabie
m9gaer can be arrested and imprisoned IN
Cnieago for f'Nlanapsng" her own child
seems almost Incredible. Yet this Is per-
tect.y true under the existing statutes %
il!inels. says the Caieago Tribune.
mother has uof even a legal signs - give
permission far her child - be taken 10
ride on street ear and II the father
wishes 70 take from her d nurssng child
ard 10 give j; Into the care Of a baby farm
or III a dissalute mistress "a can do so
and hay. ali 'ae iegs! machinery OK the
courts 10 support ms action. And X "A
mother. 10 ar0ia netug thus robbed o.! her
chisd. tries 70 escape with Il 10 an~tter
state she can ~ arrested and subjected 10
a maximum punishment CT imprisonment
ia the county Jaii for oue year and tne
Of =. 800
MS Is bur one example of j score OF
baFt3arous anachronsns still existing in
the coGn II and statute taw Of Illinois ana
af most Of the states in regard tn the
statute # mother and child. Mrs. cathe-
Tfne " aueA McCuls9Ch, All attorney % TINS
city mss gathered the most siaTing In
Justices Of tnjs sort into u little box OF
fiction called Afr Lex" MIR Lex, OF
course. Is an inlposSi6iy hateful father
WINS takes deliberate advantage Of every
juss power which the aFchat5 law gives
bin. yet each individual act aScribcd 10
him Is not only possible bnt Is supported
by actual cases on record ard these are
cited by chapter and section. Combined in
this form they make an unanswerable brief
against ,he fragrant injustice 0s the legal
fiction by virtue OF which the father is sole
guardian Of his children. no matter how
vicious his arbitrary rulings may be.
Under existing iaas the father may
choose the clothes ais children saall wear.
The church they shall attend. the kind OF
work they shall do. the medicines they
shall take when they are sick. and the
place where they shall he buried when
Trey di. under his lreatment~-all in deli
auce Of the mothers wishes or Judgment,
even though she furnish all the funds for
running the fathers business II q Gaugh-
ter at The age OF H. falls victim to
sedueer, her father can drive her out Of
his house ana forbId her mother To help
the unfortunate girl II the disgraced girl
mother manages 10 get something to DO
and to support her liiegigimafe Infant. the
girls father can 30 an5~@ith "A little
mAne1vering collect the money she has
earned. for she Is stiii 4 minor, As long
as The father IS supposedly In MS righT
mind the mother cannot collect the wages
or Il child though fhe father may collect
every cen. OF such wages ana use II all for
drink II be nleases
The maximum punishment chat can be
imposed upon The ssstIcer Il 4 girl Of II is
the first sen wears II the infants life
Even II be does not pay cent toward the
support nf tbe child he Gan AZ the end az
ten years take the child from The mother
who has reared aBG supported *. and can
legally sjiSposSeSs her and make the child
e3Fn wages 10 keep him lit tobacco ana
whisky
II the wife 81 "a worthless husband
comes into possession % a legacy she cam
not i,e compelled Ia hand IL bodily over %
t5e husband. bat she can be compelled 10
pay she husbands bills vita i. In ;he
s..gposititioa$ case % Mrs Lex she Is
e1Iup@fied "a pay for her husbands tro8s-
tobacco. ugou ,ec theory that be- II the
dora aHa master Of IRE family and t}st
these things are necessary for the support
0E t.5n family. II sHy{suslr doubts fhs. to-
taIc0 item me wili nnd Il supported ~ a
specific case ia tho Illinois appellate court
records
In The words 81 Mrs McC5anoch a
mother Is eligible - all du}y al burden,
hIy Ineligible Es receive 9eRe{if In the
shape ef wages. and Ineligible "a direct the
eNp@ tia8ture * heT avn funds -
There IL ao, G SHADOW % question a. 20
tae validity e Mrs. Act,ailoch indict~
rlent So the LEGAL eoae ira relation % the
- oHr states including ilireis sttil N ke
t1e fathers sole guardians ard csis.oiiaBS
OF children, ANA deprive mothers ~ s,lch
authority. FHe whole t2FA - relic OF
ksEI3a3}Sn7 tf Hot ~ Har4-ar;su,~a stgTvfV al
* tae -aN teaS came iHto being ehcn ne
fathers apparently possessed all me tn e.
lgeEct wr}t as al. tfe ssteDEth AMI All
easaFd and abou.nabls in)1stices e 'he
common ls~ sfe nu, e.svd eut IS taAt the
Ma lority - fathers 30 nct avail themselves
% theiF legal rights