Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-12-20

The Semi-Weekly Journal goes into g
number OF southern states. and / often
get letters from its readers from far Oft
Texas and Arkansas.
Ny heart was touched by late letter
from a good wife and the mother Of a
number OF children. she having married
nearly a dozen years ago; whose hus-
: band has been carrying on Illicit rela-
tons with a fast woman in the neigh
borhood. for a number OF months past
She is distressed beyond belief and
writes TO me to know what TO do for the
sake OF her dear children and the peace
of the family.
I gave her the best advice that &C.
CURED to me. but il has made me think
considerably. concerning the difference
which prevails. as 70 which member of
the marriage contract IL IS that goes
astray. and I am satisfied In my mind
that this country needs legislation which
viii make il as difficult for a man to walk
abroad and defy public opinion. as IL is
/ for the woman who also lapses from
virtue and who is Immediately ostra-
. cized and condemned without limit by
both sexes
The man should be as white as the
woman. In this respect. especially for
the children's sake, IL woman does be-
long TO the subject class and has to oc-
cupy- the position of an inferior by
reason OF man-made laws. and the lax
morality of men in general. before mar
riage-
Here is a good woman with a house
ful OF little ones. as dear 10 her as the
apple OF her eye" who is forced to sit
still and forbear. while her husband
wastes his money land his better self)
on that loose woman. who makes vile
70 od fslfa
and in the destruction OF a once happy
family.
IL is a painful fact that loose morals
make but little difference. so far as pub
lie men are concerned. They can come
and go and do as they please. so far as
their marital conduct concerns the pub
lie, and their example has been deadly
IN giving a low tone and sorry COM
plexion TO politics in general
Until there is legal requirement for
clean living. or to make I, palmer. until
we can get officials who can be relied
upon TO take cognizance OF the sin OF
adultery as they do OF theft or pistol
toting. we may expect TO ind men who
win waste their money and their char
acters on vile women. no matter how
many suffering children call them ia
Their. or how many suffering wives, whose
happiness is thus cruelty outraged. may
bear their dishonored names in silence
and in shame. there may be.
There is but one relief In such hope
less cases. namely. divorce proceedings,
and that makes II hard. difficult. embar-
raising and unhappy for the wife and
her children
II is about all that married couple
can do TO raise a family % children in
credit and the miserable wife has carried
the bulk Of the burden. when she brings
a lot OF little children into hard world
of danger and deceit. To be flung back
upon herself and TO be Obliged to make
her misery known to the world because
her mate follows after other women,
seems to be the limit to legal justice ana
human forbearance- If half the laws on
our statute books could be abridged or
blotted out. and few plain direcuons
set down among them. white lie
for the man as well as the woman. TINS
country would be wiser. richer and IN
fsniteIy happier than at present