The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27
Married women's Rights.
Chicago Chronicle.

Chicago Chronicle.
Mrs. William Todd Helmuth, ex-pres-
dent of Sorosis, has taken up the cudgel i'm
behalf of the rights of wives to a liberal
part in their husbands incomes. 1.-THE mar
ried woman has a right to certain pro-
portion of her husbands money" she de-
clares "When he gives it 10 her he is not
granting her a privilege, but acknowledge
ing claim.
THE amount that should come to the
wife must, of course, be decided by circum-
stances. Perhaps it may seem best that the
housekeeping bills should come to him-al-
though as a rule it is wiser 10 make an al
lowance for household expenses and let the
wife do the disbursing of the funds. Still,
she may yield that point if it seems eX-
pedient.
1.-The wife may even, under some condi-
tons, be willing to have her accounts for
dress settled by her husbands check,
though this is seldom expedient. The wom-
an who has a dress allowance and feels
she must keep within it is far less likely to
run into extravaganza than the woman
who is not entirely clear as to how much
may go for chiffOnS The very uncertainty
is trying in more ways than one.
Though the husband may pay the butch
er and grocer, the milliner and the dress
maker he should not run into the blunder
of fancying that his wife has no call for
any money beyond the occasional dime or
quarter he grants her for car fare. There
is convincing testimony that the majority
of women have to ask their husbands for
spending money or hypOthecate the house
hold accounts I'm order TO get il.
Il know one ideal husband who has new
er, in married life of thirty years, obliged
his wife to go to him for money. There is
certain drawer in her desk where he places
what he can afford to let her have every
week. The drawer is never allowed 10 get
empty. Moreover, he never asks her TO ac-
count for a cent of 1t. That man should
have halo for his daily wear.
PLENTY Of other husbands make house
hold allowance, even dress allowance,
TO their wives. But many more dole but
what they think will be needed and appar-
emily imagine that their wives can get
Gus, unexplained fashion. without having
resort to the ordinary money making
means
eff women were not long-suffering crea-
lures there would have been an organized
revolt long ago. No man has a right to
submit his wife to the humiliation she
must undergo when she is obliged to de-
cline to make small contributions in church
money. She may have an account in half a
dozen shops. Her clothing may be the envy
of her friends, her house may be finely ap
pointed, but when IL comes TO a call for a.
chance quarter half dollar she has not
the cash i'm hand.
Let the husband, at any rate, give the
wife a chance to prove whether or not she
Is 10 be trusted with money. Should she
show herself untitled to handle il it is time
enough for him to withdraw her allow
ance and treat her as he would a child of
nine or ten. But there are few women who
are unworthy of having the charge of their
own spending money. AS a rule, they are
quite as careful as their husbands in the
of bills that is often unknown to the lords
Of creation"