The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-08-08
Woman's Rights in Africa.

! " ,fI
J Woman's Rights in Africa.
According to Miss Agues McAllister.
missionary of tho Methodist Episcopal
Church. who has lately returned from
Africa to this country to rest, woman's
rights already prevail among certain
tribes Of the Dark Continent. These
African ladies. whose Easter church
costume consists largely of a nose ring
, and a pious expression, have In every
village a strongly organized union.
4 with walking delegates. committees
and central labor unions. though. Of
course. they do nUt call them by these
names The African women are not
very familiar with Browning and Id.
sen, and their clubs are on strictly
business basis, their object being. first,
last and all the time to make the men
folks stand around.
The amalgamated association does
its work quietly. The men call a pal
aver and decide to vary the monotony
Of life by getting up a war with
a neighbofing tribe. Ten minutes az
ter the conference adjourns the womsn
hHOW ubOut WudI uao UCcu uOuO
than they would II newspaper extras
had been issued. Immediately they
call q palaver OF their own and discuss
the subject from threir point of view.
They decide that a war would be a lot
of expense and bother and appoint
committee to wait upon the officers
of the tribe and toll them few things.
That is the last that Is heard Of tho
war project.
seems odd, but there Is good reason
for 1t. 1t was not ever thus. for time
was when the men had everything
their own way and the wives were
mere slaves and drudges. But gradu-
ally the spirit Of progress got abroad.
In secret 1t was fostered and grew and
spread until In one tribe things were
ripe for an outbreak, and 1t needed
very little to cause q TOW.
The provocation came one fine day
when one Of the big chiefs decided to
Indulge himself In the amusement of
smoking out his wife. This used to be
one Of the most popular diversions Of
the good old uays when women's
rights were quite unknown. To smoke
out your wife you first put the lady in
the attic-like room under the thatched
roof Of the hut. and shut her in by
closing the trap-door. Then you col
lect some twigs and pieces Of wood
set them on fire In the lower room. pill
ing damp grass on the fire when 1t got
going we'll.
AS soon as the smoke was dense en-
ough you open the trap-door and let
the woman Of the house have the full
benefit of the smudge. Smoking out
was capital sport. for the man, and its
effect upon the wife was generally to
nip in the bud any tendencies toward
characterization.
Well, the chief whose disciplinary
measures caused all the trouble-his
wife, history says, had been gadding
too much'-got ready for the smoking
out and tried to put his better half In
to the attic. To his surprise she not
only declined to 70 up through the
trap-door, but established .preced-
ent by giving him sound thrashing.
Then she ran out and told-f some
friends about 1t and soon the news
was all over the village.
A union had already been formed In
secret, and the women came fiockinS
together from every direction. The
men were SO amazed that they didn't
do anything to stop the movement
and then and there the first female
palaver In Africa was held. The wo-
men were little weak in parliament.
ary procedure. Cushing's Manual nor
enjoying large circulation In that
Village. but they managed to agree up
on q plan OF action. Every lady bound
herself by solemn oath not to cook
anything for her husband until ho
agreed to surrender unconditionslJy
the right of smoking out.
When the men folks recovered from
their astonishment they were inclined
to look upon the situation as amusing
rather than dangerous. but they soon
discovered their mistake. Much 10
their surprise. the great majority OF
the women held nrm, shutting their
teeth firmly against beatings and even
being unmoved by Sinking out. Two
J or three days of starvation fyk,xbk
around even the Aercest uf the hus.
bands. and one by one they gave Ia. !.