The San Francisco call., 1906-07-13

BERKELEY, July I2.-Like sun
light on a gloomy day came the news
10 the women Of Berkeley that the
Good Government Clubs machinery, its
influence and ali the persuasive powers
of Captain Z. J. Martin, who is at it's
head are TO be thrown into the scale
10 procure a statute designed to help
women gain their share Of the family
income.
Maids and matrons read with glee
the announcement Of Captain Martin,
as contained in The Call today, that an
ante-nuptial contract is the thing to
keep women in pin money and prevent
divorce. If some of the remarks over
the teacUps that were inspired by Cap
tain Martins somewhat revolutionary
proposal had been heard by him his
ears would have tingled pleasantly.
Captain Martin, capitalist and retired
man-Of- affairs. believes that the Eegis-
lature should pass a law requiring
young persons who contemplate matri-
mony to sign pre-nuptial contract
by the terms Of which husband and
wife share equally in the family income
The Good Government Club. a staid,
conservative organization, manned and
Differed by influential and prominent
men Of Berkeley, proposes TO draft this
aTre-nuptial contract law, submit it to
the Legislature and secure its adoption.
The captain believes that requests for
pin money from wife to husband
should be made unnecessary and
thinks that a fruitful cause of divorce
would be abolished If the wife had her
legal share of the coin earned by the
husband.
Some of the ladies who are elassed
as representative of Berkeley woman
hood have given The Call their opin-
ions regarding the way the Good Gov
ernmeRt Club proposes to ameliorate
their condition in the matter of
hnaDce. Club women, university wo-
men, school teachers and others
have contributed to the symposium
and answered, in part at least, the
query; Do the women of California
back up the Good Government Clubs
demand for a change in the law that
shall govern the handling Of the family
pocket-bookg" Their statements fol-
low:
POWER GOES WITH THE PURSE.
MRS JAMES B. HUME, former presi-
dent Of Ebell Club, Oakland-Future
wives would be emancipated from a
humiliating dependence IL the law pro-
posed by the Good Government Club
were passed. 1t is a contamination
more devoutly to be wished than many
that are promised by woman suffrage
advocates. Every one who has met
club women and seen what happens
when money is called for knows that
in every community there are hundreds
of married women living almost in
luxury, with their bils paid, yet who
obtain with difficulty money needed for
their personal expenses. These women
never would dream of signing a sub
scription list or pledging any sum with
out first consulting their lords and
masters, obtaining their permission
and the money What can be more hu-
initiating to a self-respecting inde-
pendent woman than such a situation?
The funny man of the newspapers
revels in Jokes about the wife coaxing
and cajoling a stingy husband into
parting with enough money for a new
hat No other commentary upon the
status Of the wife is needed than such
jokes Many q married woman, de-
pendent and humiliated, may be for
given If she fails TO appreciate the hu-
NOR of such jokes. Marriage is a part
nership. but it ought to be a full and
equal partnership. Power goes with
the purse, however, and no woman oc-
cupies her rightful position in the
household who is dependent upon her
husbands caprice for every dollar she
wishes to- spend. The cloud that now
darkens many domestic horizon would
disappear as If by magic if the woman
were independent in the matter of
money.
1T WOULD PROMOTE VIRTUE.
MRS. NARY 7. WILSON, principal