The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-21
CHATTEL
PROPERTY


HW% HOUGH slavery is abolished
among civilized nations, the
idea of ownership in human
beings has been by no means
abandoned. It lives and works
today liz the breasts Of those
who are Joined in the holy estate of
matrimony. The old saying that your
soul is your own should be amended
by the addenduna, unless you are
married" It is deemed one of the priv
lleges of wedlock that each half of the
unit may habitually sneer at, sit down
upon and spray ice water shower
baths upon the other half's dearest
aspirations and fondest ambitions.
This, however, is not the fault of
wedlock per Sc. 1t is the fault of
the people whom it ties together
ties apart, perhaps, would be better
for these same folks before marriage
were as one in sympathy with each
others aims and talent. 1t is as if they
laid hand each upon the others shout
der and said: Il own this man Cor this
woman). He Cor she) shall do as I
say"
A model domestic man may bend over
the grindstone eleven months and
half. He is at home every night, his
wife talks when he wants to think, she
drags him out to a mild social festivity
when he wants to go to bed or the chill
dren Chamber over him when he would
like to sit and play solitaire to let his
wrought UP brain down easy. He has
not murmured, but, like a good, ODE
dent husband and father, has submit
ted gracefully. He does this fifty weeks
in the year. The other two weeks con-
stitute his vacation, when he is sup
Cn6 fo oh 10
would dearly like to go off in a jolly
little stag party, as was his wont ere
ma trimony claimed him. He would
like to go fishing, camping in the woods
or to any place where the wild man in
him awakens and is glad
But, no. you shan't go unless you
take me and the children along!" says
madam, and the model domestic man
submits to destiny.
Often a married partner absolutely |
stunts the whole life of the other half |
leaving an Intellectual or artistic dwarf
or cripple where a being half divine |
might otherwise have enriched the |
world. Wives are oftener dwarfed in |
this way than husbands because their |
power of resistance is less. A woman. /
married young, perhaps develops after /
ward talent for a professional career, /
dramatic, musical or otherwise. 1t is /
her hearts longing to let her light |
shine. The husband says:
You shant do it. l won't let my |
wife do anything but stay at home. /
even if she does fret her heart out
She stays at home accordingly, she /
does fret her heart out, she is never \
happy a day again in all her life be
cause of the dead talent which hus-
band strangled.
You are an individual put here to de-
velOp your own powers and save your
you, not even a husband or wife. You
are not saving it so long as you let it
be oVerslaughed and dominated by an
other, letting its gifts and desires lie I
dormant. Every soul is entitled to the
satisfaction Of all desire and aspiration
that does not interfere with the rights
of others. only through such satisfac-
ton can it achieve the aim of creation
and grow and bloom out in immortal
beauty. Everybody knows this. If he
does not. he does not know much.
And yet. heaven have mercy on them,
husbands and wives tyrannize over and
thwart each other and pull the check
rein on each other constantly. even to
meddling with each others tastes in
the matter of food and the garments
they wear.
I won't go out on the street with
you if you wear that thing" says he
II don't care if you do like corned
beef and cabba ge," says she 1T shan't
come into this house. You must not
smoke down stairs. It makes US all
sick, and you should not smoke up
stairs as the odor of stale tobacco
smoke is unbearable about a bedroom
she grinlly observes.
It's no worse than impregna ting the
whole house with the fumes of gasoline
while you are trying to clean pair Of
wornout gloves he cheerfully retorts
Both suffer- alike the tyrant and the