New-York tribune., 1905-11-18
GIRLS MARRIED. At SIX.
Nesc-Y York Won,ers Organise to Res
cue Child WiUes an India.

ArranEenents are being made for the organi-
,at,on in New-York of a branch Of the Indo-
American Woman's Restoration League. when
means league for the restoration of the women
a. India TO their ancient position Of honor AND
dignity. through the abolition OF child marriage
tea will be given on next Wednesday after
-oon November D for Mrs. c. P. Wallace, OF
,oe Angeles the founder of the league, at the
home Of Mrs. Charles q. Caldwell, No. % West
aOth-st.. and on this occasion the organization
VIII be effected.
Already branches have been formed IN ten
American cities, and the plan OF campaign con-
,splates the formation of branches all over this
country and in Europe. When a sufficiently
large organization to influence the Hindoo I'M
sg,Dstjon has been formed a bill raising the
,ass1 age Of marriage to sixteen years will be
n-soa-ed and friends Of the movement in India
1,,I +s sized TO present II to the Indian govern
Tnen-.
.prbare is" SAYS Mrs Wallace, "a strong
ss,+ir7ept in India In favor Of the abolition Of
cb1d marriage Many men of high position and
great influence have their eyes fully opened to
the great evils resulting from this practice. but
Z, Is so interviewer with the customs and re-
IIe4o1 of the country and with its caste system
that they feel themselves poweriess to effect
snv reform But they think that if the move
r,ent came from outside the country and was
hacked I'D by a sufficiently large number of
persons to show the natives how the world
regards child marriage, something might be
done In that case they stand ready to give all
the assistance in their power. The British gov
ernrnent is also favorable, but IN a like
this involving native customs its policy ts to
let the natives take the initiative"
Mrs Wallace gave an address the horrors
in of Ia
Presbyterian Church yesterday afternoon, with
Mrs Rossiter Johnson IN the chair.
'It is impossible to tell the truth about child
marriage" she said Il dare not tell you half
know, and L have been told by, ,Hindoo men that
I did not know half myself We call Africa the
dark continent. but the darkness Of Africa is
nothing to that OF India The Hindoos are a
great race They have forgotten more than we
ever knew but they have fallen from their high
estate. and il is this very custom of allowing
men marry little girls sometimes not over
six years of age which according to some au-
thorities has degraded them These unions
are not mere betrothals, as many people thlnks
but are actual marriages. The child wives be-
come mothers at eleven. twelve and thirteen,
and this premature strain upon their immature
little bodies often results in death.
THE position of women in India was IN
ancient times, high one. But to-day its treat
ment Of women is without parallel on the face
Of the earth In every other Oriental country
there some mitigating circumstances In the
slavery of women In India there are mono.
The Mahometan may divorce his wife for a
Eflim. but she takes her dowry with her when
she goes The Hindoo child wife who fails to
please her husband is cast forth penntless,
disSraced and outcast to walk the streets and
te the prey of every man who cares TO ap
preach her. Sometimes the husband bites OFF
her nose before he dscards her, and women
SO mutiated ars often seen in the streets. The
husband IS never blamed for this Only she
Is blamed"
Mrs Wallace's interest in and knowledge OF
"a IN he NJ her q
her way to India years ago three
Parsee men The Parsees, who constitute
very small community in India, do nct be-
lieve in child marriage but cannot take any
action against It, because OF their alien posi-
lion. These men said to Mrs Wallace and her
companion Mrs. J. N. Holmes that If they
would investigate this subject with a view
disseminating the knowledge thus gained in
America and Europe they would make the
OF portunities. From this grew the Indo-
American Wor1an's Restoration League which
was organized in Los Angeles in 1902.