Blue-grass blade. [volume] (Lexington, Ky.) 188?-19??, 1903-06-14
Sex Tyranny
By Josephine X. Henry

than a small per cent of them ever
come to public notice.
Right here in my own county of
Woodford, case of blood curdling bar
barity has recently taken place. The
Versailles paper gives the following
facts in the case:
George Honaker Gets a Life Term.
The jury in the case of Common
wealth VS.. George Honaker, for mali
ciously striking and wounding his
wife. Josie Honaker, with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill, and also
charged with two former convictions
for felony, on Friday afternoon re-
turned a verdict of guilty and fixed
Honakers punishment at life impris-
onment in the penitentiary.
Honaker's crime against his wife,
as shown by the evidence, was fright
fully brutal.
Last May Mrs. Honaker, on account
of her husbands cruelty to her and
threats to take her life, left her home
near Sellers Mill and rode horseback
to Versailles to go to her mother at
Paris. Honaker followed her and
overlook her at the Southern depot
and by tender promises of complete
reformation on his part persuaded her
to accompany him home. When they
had gotten away from town he whip
ned their horses into mad pace and
then with curses and abuse dashed
his wife with a rope bride all the
way to Sellers Mill. Several times
the woman was knocked from her
horse and bruised and lacerated. On
the threshold of their home Honaker,
with oaths and threats, knocked his
wife down twice with locust blud'
eeon. Honaker and his wife were
married four years ago in Bourbon
county and came to Woodford Two
years ago. They have one child.
A motion for a new trial for Hona'
ker was overruled. An appeal will be
taken.
This horrible crime against a de
fenseless woman only receives this
short notice recording the proceedings
q. Circuit Court in the town paper.
The brutal husband got his just de.
serts. but in largely the majority OF
such cases the offender goes free
The public conscience is not arous-
ed against such crimes, because II
has grown callous ON account of their
frequency. There are nine churches
in nv town of Versailles, supported
and attended chiefly by women, yet
not one word of protest has ever been
uttered in one of them against this
atrocity, against a defenseless wo-
man. vet anathemas are constantly
hurled against a band of savage Jews
whom it is preached crucified Ia myth
icaD Christ two thousand years ago.
We hear of neIJner sermons from
pulpits. nor charges from judges to
Grand iuries demanding the roofing
cut of injustice and crimes against
women.
Where is the preacher who will dare
enter his pulpit with the Holy Bible
in his hand, and demand Juscice foi
women in the church, the State, or
the family? Where is the Judge ina,
will dare charge a grand jury to hunt
cut the wrongs against women IN our
social system, OF demand that they be
allowed a voice in the laws that tax
Them to pay the wages of judges, or
iurors or demand that woman when
on trial for life or liberty ne ailo"eu
a Jury of their peers?
The preacher dare not do it because
his Bible commands the subJection OF
woman, and the Judge dare not q
il because his position depends upon
the votes of men, who, whether they
know it or not are the victims OF re-
ugious and political tyranny and sup
erstition. Women have no votes, there
fore they can be wronged and robbed
without danger of unfrocking the
nriest or disrobing the jurist. No
man is good enough, or wise enough
| IN rule a woman. Each individual Oh
either sex has enough to do to rule
herself or himself.
The Bible says: "He that ruleth
himself is greater than he that TAX
eth a city" yet It emphasizes the SUB
lection of woman to man, when IL
saws "The husband is the head OF the
wife. even as Christ is the head OF
the church."
Sex tyranny sends its deadly virus
through every vein of our social sys
TEN.
Woman under all systems OF reli
gion and government has been inc
victim of sex tyranny, from the nc
man law giving the husband abso
lute power of life and death over the
wife. to the pampered wife of the rlch
American, who is never trusted WIN
dollar in cash, but is required 10 ex
nloit her husbands credit to supply
her needs, because custom says men
alone shall hold the purse.
The "head of the household" theory
has well nigh turned the domesuc
system into Pandemonium. But
may be asked are there no women
tyrants? | answer numbers OF them
but numerous as they are, the grea'
wonder is, that there are not more
The ruling power does not reside
wholly in the male, nor wholly In the
female. Consequently woman born
with the same human nature as man
makes a ceaseless struggle to release
herself from his tyranny. Many meth
DDS are adopted by the sex TO secure
freedom and equality The rudel
types Of women ignore their sworI
pledge of marital obedience TO male
head, and go into the ruling business
themselves, riding rough shod ovel
| the wishes or commands of their YOKE
| fellow, if he happens to be OF the
non-oiving TYNE. or keeping up 9