Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-05-23
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS.

court OF JUSTICE furnishes al cAS''e"'
test for a bit OF a sermon We have
for some time felt called upon to
preach to the great number of women
among cur readers. The case itself
Is really enc OF small importance, but
behind the immediate issue raised
| there il bigger and l"oader qnes
tiOn-a question that is just now Oh
especial interest to women, and per
haps In an even more acute way 10
The men. Earnest consideration oil
the ideas suggested by the decision
| l.; especially timely in leap year. TO
! state our text in brief. young man
who had been paying attentions to
! Young woman. finding himst If outside
the pale of her affections. demanded
! the return OF his gifts of love. One OF
those gifts being dress, long since
worn out. she referred him to the rag
man for 1t. Another being a diamond
| ring she told him she had lost II.
| As for minor trinklcts, sh" bundled
! :hCm up and told him h" might have
| them if he would call for them. Then
he went into court and right Tier"
! is tn. rub of the case. He not only
! went into court. but he got Ncrdict
for the full cash valnc OF all the gifts
and one cent damages. The lady sim
| ply r, marks that ne will have har'i
time collecting his Judgment, as she
hasn't any money.
As for the property and the persons
| immcdiatcl, concerned the case Is OF
! little or no interest: but IN" mere
fact that the man could and did 20 in,
| to court with his claim. and that he
| could and did actually get judS-
mcnt. aud that he can cnf"rcc the
, collection CT that JUDGMENT if he can
find anything Of hers which he can
realize the vaiuc---thrSr furnish food
for thought for the women of the
| land Leaving Cut the ethics of the
proceeding and the regrets over low
Ing hearts aSundCr this case SHOWS
one of the things the women uf our
great and glorious CounirY are up
. against right now and they are 30
Ing to he up higher and against hard
cr right straight along fr0m now On.
1t is an undisputcd axiom that III"
rights eff citizenship carry obligations
and duties: that the right to demand
is always attended by The duty /"
answer similar demand; that priv
ges also involve pains and penal
ties. Only few ycars ago TIL idea
OF man suing woman Tor the re
turn Of love tokens. or in any other
way attempting TO even up WIN
her for jilting him. would have been
considered so pr p"si"rous AS TO nav
been hOoted and jcered from one END
of the country TO tn other. In those
DAYS the man took his mediCin" Liz"
a man. and no one Con>idr rcd him
less a man for doing so. Those were
the DAYS when the sex had. without
the trouble Of claiming, ali possible
Considt ration and courtesy. but as
some women thought. Or at least
taught. none of the rights" that see m
to have come TO be considered so inn
portant. The advanced woman made
her appearance. and her sisters re.
gan to fall in step and To advanc"
with her. The elevators Ct the sex
have gone forward with the strides
OF giants in seven league boots. beg
cling pardon for the simil"r until i
is now the proud boast that woman Is
cmanCipa,ed, and that now women
can be found working and moving
side by side with men in all walks OF
life. Except for the mere matter
Of casting the ballot. w"man has So
cured her rights and she even mas
the ballot in some Of the states
But In securing her rights. has nos
woman opened for herself a veritaoir
Pandora's box Ct syils' This case OF
the former suitor's suit seems. to :"
indicate With her dignity and her
cnfranchiscmcnf. woman must MAKE
IN her mind TO accep: the duties and
the penalties of her nfw-iouhh sta
tion. No more convincing ILLUSTRATION
Of this can he found than in the 'ac'
that. sh, can he and il hell TO account
, in JUS, such cases as this, just a
man is. She can be and she Is being
sncd for breach Of promise. Just q"
! man IL What would have beTh
/ thought in the soIf old DAYS OF a man
who would sue woman for breach Oh
| promise no matter haw many srh
! suits were filed with women as IN"
plaintiff, II is all different ROW. IN"
/ dear old DAYS If gentle shrinking
wcmanhond have passed. The W"
| man OF today doesn't shrink. at least
! not So that you could notice 1t. Sh"
! has got The rights she demanded Hnt
I a, the same time. - ihe case ri ."
! indicates. she has assumed obligation"
! shr must be- ready to meet
/ Thcs. few words are SAID IN IN"
kindIi"st admoniiion fer in"s" among
The women who have accepted IN"
rights without full rralizaiion al
IN" attendant obligation. viewed from
some anSi5 :. and there are a ST"a,
MANY women who NAV road III" trici