The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-01-28

II uLAAAh NlA AANc anu o-AN NA+N NAAAfA-
the subject of the contract History
Overfows with evidence that she has,
until recent years, been in no way
regarded as anything but a piece Of
property in process of transfer in the
marriage contract.
But while she was subject 10 force
in entering into this contract, she,
and she alone. was held TO strict ac-
countability for keeping the terms of
it, Not a very good training for
contractual morality, nor a very
good proof of such morality on the
part of men.
A contract between persons Is an
agreement into which they both en-
ter freely. and in which there are re-
ciprOcal benefits received If it is a
sworn contract, they must both
swear that they have read the terms
of the contract. and that they under
stand them. If il can be proven that
either praty TO it was forced to enter
| into il, or entered into il ignOrantly,
| or if the contract does not name the
value delivered and the consideration
! received. that contract is not valid.
Did anyone ever read the terms of
la marriage contract before signing
lit? Does anybody know what they
are? Occasionally a case comes in
to court that gives the game away.
Thus the terms of the marriage con-
tract are disclosed from time TO time.
The terms Of it vary between differ
ent states. but in general, the man
becomes the owner of the woman's
body. and Of her services. He can
make her work for him, without any
limit whatever excepting that of her
endurance without pay. If she works
for somebody else he can collect her
wages And he becomes the sole
guardian of her children, in all the
states but nine Her property passes
into his control either completely or
lin some lesser degree. If she dies,
he and his heirs have much greater
rights to her property than she and
her heirs have to his property if he
dies. He can choose the place
where they shall live, and the law
gives him all these advantages over
her, by reason of this marriage con
tract. But what value does the wife
receive in return for all these penal
ties and obligations? There is a the
DRY that she receives support and
protection" But the law does not
allow a man to defend even himself
unless his life is seriously threaten
} ed. Much less does it allow him tc
defend his wife. The state has
taken the matter of defense into its
J own hands. And as TO the support
, the law does not guarantee it in any
J way whatever.
The marriage contract, then, is &
contract the terms of which are moi
known to either OF the contracting
parties, and a contract by the terms
of which one party incurs heavy pen
| alties and obligations without receiv
) ing any stated compensation what
2 ever in return. Can you see nov
2 why the terms of this contract arr
kept so dark? No self-respectinl
person, man or woman, would sigI
such a contract, If he had to squared!
face the terms Of ii beforehand. /
is an insult to the honesty of tn,
man as well as to the dignity of thu
woman. | don't know just what {
skin-game is, but suspect this frau
dulent contract would answer the de
> scription of one.
Now this skin-game is not game
played by every man upon the wo
man he marries. 1t is fraud per
petrated by the state upon its wo
men. And it is a means, the verl
| strongest means that is used, to keel
women in subsection.
The theory is that the state take
a hand in marriage for the mora
( benefit of the people. and to max
fathers support their children. TIL
means certainly seem strangely VI
! adapted to the end The father ca
i collect the wages of the children
but there is no means provide
II whereby the father can be made t
Il feed and clothe his children. And
J bogus contract like this seems poorl
e fitted to secure the moral well-bein
II OF society. Then what is the reaso
this fraud is perpetrated? Suppos
y the women of any state should g
J. before the legislature of that stat
e with petition asking that tn
:. terms of the marriage contraC
u should be printed on the marriag
Is certificate in that state, so that PEI
\ pie could read and understand it b.
Is fore they sign it, Would the legi
II lature pass any such law? Certain
i, ly not If women were free and equi
IL in the marriage contract they wouI
e be "butting in TO business and pol
tees inside of a week 1t would Il
ST ,erfere with profits all along tt
IL line.
lie If the institution Of marriage