El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-03
Must Women "Obey?''
Love Never EKacts a Distnstefui
Task or Demands n Hate
fuI Sacrifice
BY MADIrO. c. PETERS.

70 sensible American woman has
M any intention Of obeying her nus
i y band. To ask her TO promise what
she does not mean to perform is dis
honest
To impose upon young women the
solemn obligation ito obey, sur
rounded by all the authority OF re-
Ifcion. an obligation which they
ought not to incur. affords a striking
Illustration OF the subsection OF
womanhood to mans authority doc
trine which. fortunately FOR the hap
piness OF womankind, civilization is
w TEoT,an is no longer looked upoa
merely as a slave to contribute 20 the
comfort Of man whoever Is Plscsed
to obey is a slave, ana ~ - al me
more slavery if the serVitude - SELF
ironosed and strengthened py the pre-
sCriptiOn OF religion -
The word obey dates back to the
davs when the wife was the cnaltel OF
her husband. who had absolute con-
troll of her property and her children
and she was obliged TO obey Ike a
There is a lack Of moral integrity, in
the acr Of a man who, 10 sarlsfy his
own feelings in regard to an old con-
ventiOn. will put into a ceremony
which he considers sacrament WORDS
when he knows the people WAC say
them do not believe and viii not carry
Make Marriage Impartial.
Make marriage as sacred and as
close as IL is possible LOT pom cnlreh
and stare 10 make 10. but let II be
equal. impartial, and that IL may be so
+be word obey" must either be
abandoned or made reciprocal. Why
Should the husband demand OF the wife
10 do that which would be rspugnant
and raVOltIuE to h1mSelL-
Love is the foundation upon which
all true marriage is based, but love
never exacts q dlstaSteIul task or de-
mands hateful sacrifice
Where obey" is promised equality
is gone and just in proportion as the
doctrine is carried out II trains men
from bOyhOOd into selfindulgent
The bride: in receiving the ring and
plsdging obedience may see a poetic
/ beauty in the pledge, but the pledge
/ of obedience is taking up the yoke OF
Whatever may be the preachers ex-
( PLANTATION. the historic fact in regard
To marriage, where obedience is
pledged, is the theory OF inequality.
| something left OF the old heresy OF the
Perpetual Tutelage OF Women" under
the Roman law
The aobev" in the marriage cere-
mony implies that every woman must
obey somebody. and in spite Of our
boosted progress We have not got very
| far away from the old Roman law that
| every woman. Of whatever age. OF
/ whatever condition. bust be under
I somebody's control: and this concen-
1 rrating all authority over the wife
/ upon the husband is the residue OF
barbarOus age
The average European woman
/ thinks that man may impose upon her
I b. divine right. she is beast OF bur
I den and is ruled in the spirit Of the
Z dark ages Often denied education and
] completely subOrdinated 10 her hus-
band, woman lives in fear OF and in
/ subsection 10 her lord and master.
( Not so in America Here we have
| come 10 look upon woman as mans
equal and co-WOrlSer in everything
/ that embellishes life and sanctifies
( humanity
/ Remove Word ssObey.s
Away with the word obey from the
3 marriage ceremony Demand that It
I be stricken out; dare TO be singular.
I and insist that neither you nor any
) one whom you love shall be SO
7 piedged.
| The problem OF matrimony is not
obedience. but Difference BY the law
| OF martial obedience the wife is bound
as is the husband. But he is not 10
! obey her. nor Is she to obey him
| Both are 10 be obedient TO the laws OF
! feasOn. courtesy and love
Where a marriage is a union OF
! equal terms, a free and glad surrender
/ Of the heart. there is no need Of any
! promise OF obedience And II the
7 marriage is q mistake no subjection
I can mend it.