The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-02
THE LOVE OF THEIR FATHERS

To tho Editor OF The Times
In letter on suffrage printed In
The Times on Monday evening, one
sentence struck ne particularly. II
a.kCd. Can II uC Eossible thar women
- longer trust ,he' love OF their faith
ers. etc" presumably for protection.
Permit me &C draw m" writers atten-
ton 10 .cw f',cts Illus: ati9s tre paw
ticular love and protection women
have had at the hands OF these self
appointed protectors.
IRON the earliest period. man has
followed the words liberty and equal
ity through seas Of blood. 10 ~rest
tlt'r meaning 10 apply TO himself. tie
woman. however. who stood by his
side. who endured hardships and fol-
lowed him into ali dangers; who vas
his patient lave. his uncomplaininS
victim for six thousand years.-he has
never allowed 20 share his liberty or
his equality In the early period he
made no explanation for this wrong.
Ha did what the Sioux or the Apache
does today. he condemned her 10 be- a
mere beast Of burden performing tho
mental tasks he considered beneath
himself
Womanhood and maternity were a
disgrace among the Hebrews Wo-
man who had given birth 10 a child
was excluded from the sanctuary for
forty days. If a boy-if girl for
eighty days.
Under the feudal system the birth
OF a girl was a misfortune
In Sparta, Of every ten children
abandoned. seven We're girls because
the state refused 20 provide for them.
In France. Il you ask a peasant about
his family he says; IL have no chill
dren. I have only daughters. Women
were actually OF no value except as
producers OF boys.
The old religion of the Bible. while
| II lifted mp woman 20 the level of
prophets with one hand, branded her
~ 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 slayish
subordination.
In the old days and for long genera
tions after no woman's consent 10 her
own marriage was asked, look al the
story ~ Leah and Rachel Leah IS
forced upon Jacob as an extra animal
might be accepted in the same manner.
w have in the graphic picture oil ka-
| chcls agony and despair. for Gear OF
! being childlcss. Il type Of the position
occupied By the childlcss woman.
The injusiices imposed on women
were appalling Where was the low
! Ing protection Of husbands and
! fathers?
Wives seemed 10 have been hunted
/ out on purpose 10 see In how many
ways they could be- wronged \ wife
by her marriage lost all right to her
property. the income from her land
won't 10 her husband. she was penui-
less II a woman wrote q book The
copyright belonged 20 her husband No
married mother had any right TO her
children mOte married mOtheU In
many Of our states this is Still true
There are hundreds Of gases. which
SPACE GHl NOT pCuit me 60 giye-Iihe
and certain cnlightenment has made
man ashamed of many Of the Old saw
ageries practised ON women IN late
years he has dropped the tone OF the
tyrant and taken that of the hypocrite
lie now prctends that he allows hon
NO voice in the making OF hor own
laws. and keeps her Ia a state of child
ish ignorance for her own good Fancy
any man allowing another man Ca
ouenlv Gefraud him OF real liberty nm
der such nimsy pprotense. Such q
theory wOul' be- blown 10 the winds
vet this Is what men ask women not
only 10 7ccopt-thcy have forced them
30 do that-bCt also to believe.
Man likes o willing slave and SD
for all ages he has taught woman that