El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-03
Breach Of Promise Suits
No Woman Who Is Really Hurt " III
Drag Her Wounds Before
Public For Money.
Dorothy Dix
blow for sex e


A TELLING blow for sex equality
n has just been struck by su-
4 \ irene court justice Kelly, Of
Brooklyn. who has ruled that the rlsnt
to change your mind is not the sole
preroeative Of woman. Mere man mas
the same privilege
In a breach of promise case, IN Wnlch
woman was suing fairness swain swan
for renegging on his promise 70 mary
her, justice Kelly made the AOllO " ms
In the modern days Of suffrage agi-
tatiOn." he said, we must not De zoo
severe with the men. as long as no
unfair advantage has been taken Oh
the women.
man rot in jail because he has changed
his mind about marrying this glrl; e.
must remem Der that the woman always
reserves to herself the right to change
her mind at any moment. and II seems
TO me the man ought to nave the same
right"
Good for judge Kelly, That decision
is based on good sound sense ana JUS
tice. Moreover, it proves what we SUI
1ragistS have always cOntendeu' anu
that is that equal rights Tor WoIne4
viii mean equal rights for men, ana
be just as much to mems advantage as
they viii be to wOmens-
The breach Of promise SUIT mas never
been anything more OF less than DIack-
mail disguised as sentiment No woman
whose heart was really hurt would
drag her wounds before the public for
the sake OF a little money. No woman
with a vestige Of deicacy or refine
ment in her composition would Try 10
force a man to marry her who mad
tired OF her and was trying 10 get rlu
OF her
Marriage as business Deal Absurd.
It is an absurdity to contend that
class with a business proposition, and
that a man should be held financially
responsible for not carrying out a
matrimonial engagement as he would
be for not fulfilling a business con-
tract.
Cupid is no pizer. He is a dead game
sport and whenever a man or a woman
sits down 10 the love game ne OF she
must play the limit and take the risks
In addition. this is also to be said
that although women general get
cold deal in matrimOny they hold the
trump hand in COurtship. For it is the
custom Of men to WOO maids with flow
ers and candy. and books and theater
tickets, and restaurant. feeds so that
Romeo has paid his score as he went
along. and even If he balks a { the altar
the>accOunt still stands in the woman's
favor.
Thousands Of men. carried away by
the impulse Of the moment or. some
wave OF transient sentiment, have
popped the question to girls that they
knew were untitled TO be their wives.
and rued their folly before the words
were off OF their lips Thousands OF
selves in love at the time they became
engaged to women. but found them
selves disillusiOned long before their
wedding day. Thousands of men are
so completely out Of love and olsen
chanted with their prospective wives
that they would rather face the hang
man than the preacher on their mar
rage morn
Many Try to be Tilted.
These men would give 10 years OF
their lives to unsay the words they
have uttered 10 take back the promise
they have given
Many a man does everything in MS
power 10 force the girl TO lilt him. He
picks Quarrels with her He neglects /
her. Sometimes he even tries to tell
her that he doesn't love her any more,
but the more he attempts TO break
away the tighter she clings.
Let no man think that he is doing
a noble and heroic thing to marry a
woman after he has ceased 10 love her
He is doing her the most cruel wrong
that one human being can inflict on I
another He takes his martyrdOm out I
on her, and she pays every day Of her J
life for MS having been cOerced into J
an unwilling marriage.
Therefore In justice to himself and I
TO the woman, any man should I
Ike advantage of his right to change
his mind if he decides that he has
changed his heart. no matter how many {
engagement rings he has given, nor !
how many vows Of cOnstancy he has
worn. Let him duck and run.