The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-11
The Woman's Page Of The Tmles-Dispatch
A Question Asked and
a Question Answered

whats all the row about In Eng.
land among the women?" asked an
American man recently. evidently
athirst for information and discussion
IL used to think that the fish wives
OF the French Revolution were tho
only ones of their kind. L never ex-
pected to see conservative England
turned upside down by a mob OF
shrieking suffragettes. What are tho
laws they consider a grievance. and
what are they demanding the vote
for?'
'.Probably.'' answered his compan-
Ion, because OF the brutal old English
law which permits a man to beat his
wife with a stick no bigger than his
thumb, and considers that he is adj
ministering merited punishment when
he does so. Probably, because the di-
vorce laws In England are worse than
no laws at all for women. Probably,
because of the British law which says
there is Just one parent, and that pa
rent Is the father. and OF the Law that
gives all the property to the first
born boy and let's the rest OF the chill
dren do thSftbest they can
But. objected the man, lyon say
there Is an old brutal English law
permitting man to beat his wife.
| Then that law Is SO old. it's dead let
ter No man nowadays thinks OF such
| a thing, so that could be no reason for
| any woman to formulate new ideas.
Now, be honest, don't you think ths
beating pretext rather far
fetched one?"
Not when such instances occur az
| one which was reported in East Cheap
| side London. some weeks ago. a
l At <hnN NaY NIX
! wife, who was lying with baby
week old In her arms She waa not
| able to be up and around, minisecrins
to his comfort as usual. So he beat
her until she was nearly dead. and
the baby 50 much injured that 1t VIII
be partially blind for life. A passing
district visitor was called In by
frightened child of the family. just In
time to save the mothers lie and tnat
OF the infant, both of whom mad TO
remain In hospital for weeks. me
district visitors energetic fep :, :,
against the workingman procured MIN
a reproof from the magistrate and
sentence OF ten days in jail"
"Well, there may be some justffca-
tion in regard to the wife-beating
grievance. For the English laborer 10
mt nm agreeable citizen in his HABITS
Hut lust what do you mean by talking
about children having one parent
..why, I can answer you best ny
| telling you how 1t was that Lady RUS
sell the wife of an earl, became
suffragette. During an epideric %
| sn,al1nox a friend who was Lady RUS
seii,s house guest desired to have her
| Itt,e ann yaccinated. The physician
-rho was called in said he must nrst
| haye the consent of the child's parent.
The mother Of the boy began TO NUM- uhs
| 1or slip of paper on which to give
,vr,tten consent. when the phys iclan
| ram,nded her that, in Engllsh law, s.iu
WAS not a parent, but just a ino'n ~.
! And from that day Lady Russen 10
1 been convert TO the soee
mem doctrine. . ,uar,ed tho
.n .what is the difference In .ness
NC. ,o,, are talking about?
rha difserence is this a Wol a.,s.
SO, GET divorce from her No.
hand In England unless she eu W., haar
pa aatl frae If the law, unless ne ma oee ~
,,nsaithful and physically cruz
har He may disgrace ana num-. he
her in every possible manner !, an nsen
.cot free of the law, unless he ne
| seen to strike her or apuse heat
ssh s,1 IN the other hand he may Dea.
,Snand knock her down as many TINES
n nc Ma I,kes. and. II he does not COUPE.
as with personal violeheo'
W. vita has no redress. But the ny
Ne she Is guilty of infldelity the
!. =, sets her husband free,
.rhat answers the divorce question
surely" said the man. But now 49, -.
the question Of women's WAGES = l1ts
land .on,an,s wage
sue ,s simply outrageous. man
qu,,a bis wife work like q slave
and take every penny of her we.
-, sarn,nrs. He can force his dausn.-
ars "a give him their wages as iohs 90
49,, remain under his roof snouiu
sne' 10 convicted and imprisoned.
.houeh his wife may have the solo
sunnort Of her children during nus -. sl
| he may. II he is so minqeo. tahs en ,.ss
children away from her Wheh ne 10
sarvaa his sentence and is AGAIN
| free man.. ,dea
.And now you may have some laea
| ~ what the English suffrasettes are
tr,,,,r ~ do. They are working tot
nn,,nnal civilization They are trying
~ ria england of the wife-beater anu
-, tha tyne of humanity which mas
made its divorce courts no l.7 ~"
They are working to enlignteh .ne
1 ignorance OF women and 70 fsInoss
i from the English children OF Ill.,. -
wears. the burdens that they ny.
horne in the past. They are disciples re
4 az John stuart Mill. the author OF .he
| first bill asking for woman sanIasa
that was presented to Parliament oy
Reniamtn Disraell. They are as des-
nsrately and seriously in earnest az
We're the barons when they wrestied
with John Plantagenet and won
through with the Magma charta.
eA' THE PASSERBY.