Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-22
BRIDE MUST PAY
FOR HER HUSBAND
From $50 to $3.50 Is Price
Among One Sumatra
Tribe.

( Now that a closer ACQUAINTANCE
with the Menangkabau (of Sumatra)
Is made possible, it is known that
their fundamental institutions belong
to the Matriarchate, or Age of the
Mothers Rights, which many socio-
! logists believe to have been a stage
through which all races have passed.
They number 100000 and occupy a
territory five times the size of the
Netherlands, writes Carrie Chapman
Gait, in Harper's Magazine.
The women own the land and
! houses. Family names descend in the
female line, and mothers are the sole
guardians of their children. Some of
! the customs of the people have been
! detected from their normal course of
development by two powerful patriar-
chal influences At remote period
or unknown date the Hindus over
ran the chlet Islands of the archipel-
ago.
How long they remained or why
they withdrew, or If they merely in
termarried with the native peoples
they visited and thus lost their iden-
tlty, are questions that are asked
many times. though never answered:
but they left a permanent impress of
their arts, religion and ideas of caste.
The other external influences came
through Arab traders and priests,
probably about the thirteenth CEN
fury, who converted the people to
recommendation and formed a con-
nection which has been internationally
continued until the present day.
Since Hindus and Mohammedans
alike assign women to seclusion and
a position of utter subordlnation to
men, 1t is evident that there was
something tremendously virile in the
Mothers. Rights" institutions of the
Menangkabau, or something unusual
in their environment, to have with
stood all such dominating forces. The
conclusion becomes the more appar-
ent when taken in connection with the
fact that distinct traces of the ma
triarcate are to be found throughout
the Malay race, to which these people
belong. though nearly all tribes have
substituted patriarchate institutions.
Marriage is eXogamic, and before
the days of Mohammedanism all hus-
bands doubtless went to live in the
homes of their NOTWITHSTANDING as is
the usual custom under the matri- |
archaic The polygamy allowed by
Mohammed interfered with this prac- |
tise, and a curious compromise was
effected between these opposing insti- |
buttons which has permitted both to |
exist. The polygamous husband now |
remains in the family of his own |
mother and merely visits his wife in
the home of his mother-in-laW. If |
he takes the four wives authorized |
by the Koran, he usually spends a |
week with each, or at least he times |
his visits of equal lengths-watchful |
mothers in-law, with an eye to the
family eXchequer, see to it that ne
does not overstay the prescribed peri
cd Here he eats and sleeps in the
apartment of his wife
In former times, since the women
controlled the land and carried the
family pocketbook, the husbands
made no contribution toward the
family expenses Instead, the men
were supported by their wives and
received their pocket money as a gift
from them Now. many men have
attained economic independence"
the opening of new occupa
lions and business opportunities
brought about by the Dutch occu-
pancy, and such men are expected to |
bring a gift of food, clothing or |
money to their wives upon the occa- |
sion of each visit. No law compels |
this attention but popular opinion |
has thus far done its perfect work, |
and few men avoid the obligation.
As social intercourse is as free as
in America, young people fall in love |
in a natural way and make their own |
choice of matrimonial partners, but |
when the choice is made negotiations |
between the parents of the young |
couple begin and the price which the |
bride shall pay for the husband is |
determined.