The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-04
a snsband's Privileges Defined.

Judge ogden. OF Oakland, California,
has rendered a decision that has set the
people 81 the Pacific coast by the ears
IT'S 10 the eftect that husband is un-
der no obligation to stay at home
rights, nor to tell where he has been
when he does not come home. OF
eourse this decision is matter of great
comfort and satisfaction to lodge night
husbands. In the cases Of many men
who stay out all night the decision OF
the court Is superiuous. for they could
not tell were they had been IL they
wanted to; that is generally what they
want to know themselves And in
other cases, perhaps, a compulsory dis
closure OF their whereabouts would be
embarrassing.
The courts opinion, as 1t was natural
to expect It would. has stirred up the
women. Mrs. Sarah Borland, president
OF the Central Political Equality Club
Of Oakland, says:
~ am surprised that such decision
should CONS from Judge Ogden, who is
himself SO. devoted to his home and
family. I suppose. however, that his
ruling Is based on the law in the case,
and, Of course, he could never get
around that. But, Il that Is true, l
cannot see why the rule would not work
equally well the other way. Why could
not the wife remain away at night
without telling her husband anything
Of her whereabouts during her abb
sence2"
The members Of the mems clubs must
see that there Is great deal OF force
in this argument even though they
may not admit 1t.
"of course" adds Mrs. Borland. u do
not think that a man ought to be nag
Eed. i do not believe he should be ex-
pected to give up all the things done
by his lodge. or to reveal all the details
Of his business. / would not ask him
10 do that, but he ought. in reality, to
do something of that Kind TOR proprle-
ty's sake. Suppose wife should leave
her home at night and allow herself to
be detained away, and suppose her huS-
band were. compelled to await her COM
Ing, and then receive no explanation of
her delay, that husband would feel an
noyed, and rightly 3d. too"
But wait All IS not yet lost Tor the
men, for there comes a defender Of
them and their night proving proclivl-
ties In the person Of Miss May Blaney,
Of San Francisco. who diiagrees with
her sisters. and sustains the judges de-
eislon in the special case under eonsld-
Grafton by saying;
Indeed / believe Judge Ogden ID
quite right, for / don't think n mans
staying out half or even the whole OF q
night sufficient cause for divorce. A
woman Is very foolish to hold that q
man Is nsglectlng her simply because
he Is NOT At home every evening at a
certain time"
Though unmarried. MISS Blaney
seems to have formed from experience
IN her own family and among her
nelghbors q very intelligent and liberal
idea Of the opposite sex. Men" she
says. "are as peculiar in some respects
as they are interesting, and they love
best the woman who does not expect
too much u them. They like their free
dom. and they do not consider It nsglect
to 20 around town a bit after all good
Christians arc supposed to be In bod"
Miss slaney's discoveries have
thrown far western society Into a sort
Of panic, and many are the express
alons Of wonder nH to how she made
thom. They are certainly retrsBhlngly