The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-07-27
MARRIAGE In RUSSIA
The UnIlmited Power OF Parents
withdraw, aud That OF the
Husband substituted.

AS daughter the Russian woman
is under the absolute sway Of her
parents. The coming OF age makes no
alteration In her position. Until the
day Of her death. If she remains un-
married, the place she occupies in the
family life is a place OF dependence
upon the will Of her parents. When q
woman marries she changes the au-
thority Of parents for no less unquali-
fed authority of husband. AS the
Russian statute suggestively puts 1t,
zone person cannot reasonably be ex-
pected to fully satisfy two such unlim-
tied powers as that of husband and
parent"
The unlimited" power of the pa
rent, therefore, is withdrawn and that
of the husband substituted. She can
not leave him even to pay a visit to a
neighboring town without a pass"
from him. He names the time she is
to stay, and at the expiration Of the
term she is bound to return or get 1t
renewed. A husband may appear in a
court Of law as a witness against his
wife, but wife is not permitted to
appear against her husband. A
woman's evidence is regarded also as
Of less weight than that of a man.
when two witnesses do not agree"
the code runs, "the testimony of an
adult outweighs that of a child, and
the testimony of a man that of a
woman"
According to the tenets Of the Russian
church, marriage is a sacrament, and is
theoretically indissoluble. There is no
such thing as a civil marriage, and di-
vorce, except in one case, is practically
unobtainable by woman. The excep-
ton is the deprivation Of civil rights
and Punishment of the husband. If
the wife chooses she can follow her hus-
band into exile, and Russian literature
is full Of pathetic stories Of women, ten
derly nurtured, Drawing the terrors of
the long Siberian march. All children,
however. born in exile, are regarded as
belonging to the lowest class Of society.
If. on the other hand, the wife seeks, on
the plea Of her husbands banishment,
divorce, the church in this case relaxes
her discipline and grants the plea. AL
though the statute recognizes adultery
and desertion on the part Of the husband
as grounds for divorce, the law is beset
with such difficulties that it is never re-
sorted to except BY the wealthy, who can
always make the tardy wheels revolye
more swiftly.
While divorce is difficult to obtain,
there are other means resorted to which
reach the same destination, only by a
different route. Laws in Russia are made |
not to be broken, but to be evaded, and |
both the civil and ecclesiastical authori- |
les have learned the art of evasion to |
says a writer in the West
minister Review. Marriages may be an
lulled II any informality has occurred
In them, and If parties are willing the
rest is only a question of money. In /
some parts Of the empire the marriage
service is enacted with this contingency (
IN view. The certificate may be left un-
lated, or the age OF the contracting par
les omitted In some parts OF Little
Russia a relative. during the ceremony,
gives the bride a slap. to prove in case
# need that she has married under com
Dulsion Women who succeed in obtain
ng separation from their husbands on
he ground Of informaljty are received
nto society, are allowed to marry again.
nd may even be separated again with
'ut loss Of position. There is. however,
more healthy public spirit arising,
which tends strongly in favor of an ad-
usiment Of the present laws.
Reports from the Philippines tell of
he popularity that baseball has ac-
Iuired there In Manila especially has
he rooters fever struck in hard and
he games are largely attended. A six
eague club has been established in the
rincipal city Of the Philippine islands.
of teams representing the
rmy, the marine service, army trans
Crt service, Cavite and metropolitan
olioe, and the department of land
The league has been
n existence for six months. Ii was
rganized by the American officers in / ,
be Philippine service and the funds
or establishing playing grounds were
aised by public subscription Games
re played on Saturdays and Sundays
nd the attendances are enormous.
lany of the natives have taken up the
port and are beginning to master It