The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-03
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer.
A Husbands Aut1ority-2

1t is also a husbands duty to exer-
else his authority over his wife in re-
gard to the company she keeps. and
her conduct. A man gives his name to
a woman when he xnarries her. He
puts it and his honor into her keeping.
and it is within his province to see
that she does not drag them in the
mud.
Girls, as rule, have seen littlesof
life before they marry. They are poor
judges of character. They are full of
credulity and enthusiasm, and when
they meet an agreeable man or woman
they are apt to take him or her at his
face value.
This causes them to be imposed
upon by adventures and adventur-
esses. They believe implicitly the tale
of i'll treatment that such people tell
them and champion their cause Or.
perhaps, get to running with a fast set
that drinks too much and CANDLES for
too high stakes, and whose ideals of
conduct are too loose.
These wives think there is no harm
in their being seen about with round
ers and women with shady reputa-
tons. or in their going a rapid pace.
But their husbands know better. They
know that there is no one thing that
the world - believes more implicitly
than that birds of a feather flock
lOSGIHSI, anu that CVCTy WOIi1dH Is
judged absolutely by the company she
keeps. Likewise the husbands know
that no young woman can be seen
around continually at sporty places
without having her skirts despatched
by the mud of her environment.
There are plenty of respectable peo-
pie for any woman to associate with;
there is enough of innocent amuse-
ment to divert any wife. These a hus-
band should see that his wife has, and
then he should absolutely forbid her
association with off-colored men and
declasse women. Perhaps they are
the victims of malignant gossip, but 1t
isn't his wife,s place to lose her repu-
tationa In trying to bolster up theirs.
And it is a mans duty to prevent his
wife from becoming one of the poor.
neurotic, near-vampire type of mar
ried women who hang around hotel
Hobbies and daily with temptation.
You know the kind of married
women I mean. The kind of women
who are mad about clothes. frantic
for, amusement and hungry for thrills
and who spend every cent they can
get on their backs and their time at
matinees and the movies and who
boast of how MANY highbal1s they can
drink
When a man swears to protect the
woman. he marries it means some
| thing more than protecting her from
| burglars or the poor house. 1t means
protecting her from herself. 1t means
| bolstering up her weakness with his
strength. supplying her lack of sense
with his intelligence, using his SUI
| perior judgment to direct her waver-
| ing feet, holding over her the hand oil
authority that will keep her in the
straight and narrow path, and IL g
man doesn't do this. he has failed te
make good on the obligation he tool
| upon himself at the altar.
| You say it is all very well to tall
about a man forbidding his wife tc
! do certain things and asserting hi.
authority, but how is he going to en-.
| force his command?
Easily enough. Believe me, no
many women are anxious to lose theil
| homes and their jobs, and if you coul6
convince any one of them that thu
only way she could keep it was by be
having herself she would put up &
line of moral conduct that would as
! tonish you. A mean woman will e
as far as she dares, but not an incl
farther than is safe for her own in
terest. Besides. she would respect tn,
man who forced her to toe the mari
as she never does the man who let
her runa rough shod over him.
The wrong sort of woman can b,
managed by any man with the cour
age to try. The right sort of 1
| woman doesn't need it.