The Detroit times., 1909-12-02

To the Editor OF The Times
In a letter on "Suffra-c printed in
The Times on Monday evening one
sentence struck NE particularly. II
asked Can II u POSSIBLE that women
10 LONGER trust he love OF their faith.
'ers. etc. presumably for protection.
Permit We C draw the writer's atten-
ton 10 .cw fevts Illus; atlng he pr
tlcular love and protection women
have had at the hands OF these self
appointed protectors.
From he earliest period. man has
followed the words, liberty and equal
ity through seas OF boot, 10 wrest
tlc,r meaning TO apply TO himself, lie
woman. however. who stood by his
SIDE. who endured hariships and fol-
lowed him into all dangers, who was
his patient ave, his accompanying
victim for six thousand years he has
never allowed TO share his liberty or
his equality In the early period he
faadc no explanation for this wrong.
re did what the Sioux or the Apache
does today. he condemned her 20 6e a
mere beast OF burden. performing the
mental tasks he considered beneath
himself
Womanhood and maternity were a
III. grace among the Hebrews a wo-
man who had given birth 10 child
was excluded from the sanctuary for
forty DAYS. II a bOy-if girl Tor
eighty days
Under the feudal system tho birth
Of GIRL Vas a misfortune
In Sparta, OF every ten childrep
abandoned. seven were girls because
the state refused 10 provide for them.
In France. II YOU ask peasant about
his family ne says II have no chill
dren. ! have only daughters. Women
were actually OF no value except az
producers Of boys
The old religion of the Bible, while
II lifted ny woman 20 the level OF
prophets with one hand, branded her
as an inferior with the other The
harem began with the Patriarchs. who
took this vile institution from Babylon.
The early kings added wives 10 their
harem as a man adds TO his acres.
No polygamist ever rose above con-
tempt for women and no man respects
woman who willingly accepts slavish
subordination.
In the old days and for long genera
tons after no womans consent TO her
own marriage vas asked. look al the
story of Leah and Rachel. Leah Is
forced uIon Jacob as an extra animal
might be accepted i'm the same manner.
W. have in the graphic picture OF Ra.
chefs agony and despair, for fear OF
being childless. a type OF the position
occupled bv the childlcss woman.
The iniustices imposed on women
were auualling Where was the low
ling protection OF hu5bants and
! fathers?
Wives seemed 10 have been hunted
out on purpose 70 see in how many
wavs they could be wronged \ wife
! by her marriage lost all right 10 her
urope rty, the income from her land
went TO her husband she was pcnni
loss II woman wrote a book The
DOWNRIGHT belonged 10 her husband. NJ
married mother had any right 90 hcI
/ children mote married MOTHER. In
many OF our states this Is still true
There are hundreds Of cases. which
space will not permit me TO give. Time
and n certain enlightenment has made
man ashamed Of many OF the old saw
agcries practised on women IN late
Years he has dropped the tone OF the
ityrant and taken that of the hypOcrite
lie now pretends that he allows hcl
no voice in the making of her owl
laws. and keeps her In state OF child
ish ignorance for her own good. FancN
any man allowing another man e
openly defraud him Of real liberty. un
der such fimsy preteuse. Such
theory would be blown 10 the winds
vct This is what men ask women no
only To accept-thcy have forced then
to do that-but also 20 believe.
Man likes n willing slave. and So
for all ages he has taught woman tha