The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-26

.sThe Rights of Man" Before the ex-
element over this innovation had died
away the suffrage society met and de-
nlandcd that all women shall be address,
cd as ..madame" instead of the unmar-
ried being indicated as "mademoisele.
And tEen right on the heels OF this they
met again and resolved that a woman
shall not take her husbands name when
she marries.
All Of these have been boon 10 the
para grap her. of which he has not Ialieu
to avail himself and there has oeen a
slower of comments more or less clever
and more or less silly But when the
three actions of the French society are
boiled down to lard fact. there is a
good 1eai of excuse for them, writes Ida
Hustled Harper. in New York Sun why
should the Government stamp bear the
figure of Il woman holding aloft banner
calling for the rights of man, when Wo-
man herself has almost no rights under
the French law? Perhaps for the same
reason that our own country is always
typified by the figure of a woman
acknowledgements a freedom which
from the very first was denieu to woman.
And perhaps for the same reason that
over our Legislatures and courts, where
he most infamous laws regarding wo-
men have been enacted and enforced
there usually stands the figure OF another
woman labeled Justice-but most appro-
priately blindfolded, as most women nave
been during all the centuries
AS to the second demand of these
French women, why, indeed should q
woman be compelled to carry around an
appellation to show whether she is mar
ried or unmarried? What right has the
public to,tllis information? A man VIII
buy and SELL transact all kinds of pusi-
ness practice law or me6lclne, run loi
Office or enter the prize ring, and nobody
knows or cares whether he Is marrleo
or single, but a woman is confronted Win
this question from the cradle to me
grave. In Church and State, in ou&-
ness and society, if she writes a book or
paints a picture or acts or sings or pegs
or steals. she is always met with the
query: Miss or Mrs? What earth
X difference does it make, and how long
would a man stand it to tell everybody
he had dealings with whether he was
married or not? In other words, would
a stranger dare to ask a man that
question unless it were a matter OF legal
procedure? The distinction between MISS
and Mrs. is SO deeply rooted that possloi!
it will last forever and perhaps mere
is n very good reason why At sllouiu,
but what is il?
The third grievance of the French We
man is not imaginary and it is not cor
fined to lrrance-the necessity for wo-
mans giving up her family namc at mar
rage There is no reason why a woman
should not feel q pride and love for the
name which is hers by birth an6 IN
heritance. just as a. man does 1t re-
ouires some very strong influence to COM
pel a man to change his name, even II
it possesses 10 special merit, and YET IL
seems the most simple and natural thlhg
in the world for a woman to feinqulsh
hers forever and take one, which per-
hans until a few months previous. she
never had heard Sometimes woman
Inv her own ability has made her name
DISTINGUISHED. but by the marriage cere-
monv it is practically plotted out. rms
ba. been in y measure overcome OF late
oars by the custom of the wifes re-
tanning her own name and AIDING lhe
husbands but this cannot be carried on
10 the Children and at the end OF one
generation the mothers family name Is
obl1terated. There does not seem to De
any remedy for this, but it is none the
less a hardship.