The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-02
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman wEttsr.
AHusband,s Authority.

OF course to even speak of a hus-
bands authority and of his forbid
ding his vile to do certain things is
to indulge in archaic chatter. The
thing simply isn't done now. The
modern woman is so thoroughly con-
WINGED that the grey mare is the lead
horse that she has taken the bit in her
teeth and run away, and no more hus-
band dares even say WHOA! to her.
This state of affairs is based upon
the presumption that an adult married
woman is a responsible and intelligent
human being. 1t is supposed that a
woman who is old enough to marry,
have children, and be at the head of a
house has acquired enough judgment,
discretion and self-control to enable
her to fulfill properly her part CT the
marriage partnership.
Unfortunately this is not always the
case. There are many married women
old enough to know better, who are
nothing but spoiled children, without
reason, without common sense, with
out prudence, without any of the quail
tiles that go to making up of a good
wife.
These women are just as irrespon-
sible as any child OF seven years
they need authority over them just as
much as any child does, they even
need spanking just as badly as any
peevish youngster that howis for the
moon, and it is a thousand pities that
their husbands haven't the nerve to
deal with them kindly. but firmly. as a
wise father would deal with bad
child.
1t is sad fact that the finer and
nobler a man is, the less capable he is
| OF coping with a mean and selfish wo-
man. All that is chiyalrous in his ma
ture forbids him to take advantage of
his wife's dependence upon him, even
to coerce her into doing the things
that are for her own good. Her weak
ness appeals to his strength. Her very
lack of reason AID judgment causes
| him 20 make plying excuses for her
faults.
| And this is her own undoing as well
| as his for there is just one thing in
the world that appeals to the vixen
| woman and that is brute force. She
never understands, appreciates, or
loves for long the gentle man who
bears with divine patience her weak
nesses. She has a contempt for him.
| The only man she respects, and who
can hold her, is the bully who lays
down the law to her and VINO sees that
she obeys(t, and who keeps her in ter
ror of her life.
| Therefore, when a man finds out
| that he has had the i'll luck to marry
a wife who shows that she lacks
! either the reason, or the moral prin-
\ ciple to govern her conduct wisely, ii
! is his bounden duty to assert his au-
thority over her and force her to con-
form TO his higher ideals of conduct.
] To give such a woman her head and
| let her go her own gait Is as foolish
and as disastrous as it would be to
! give child fire to play with because
| she cried for it, or to refuse to re-
strain a lunatic.
For fnstarce, a man is a fool If he
! lets his wife ruin him b. her extrava-
| gance- Every husband should be as
| liberal to his wife as his means per-
! NIT. What he gives her he should
give freely, but he should draw the
! line absolutely on the safe side of the
| bankruptcy court and should forbid
his wife to go one penny beyond ii.
The woman who runs her husband
! in debt, and who, for the sake OF
gratifying her love of spending, /,
willing to work him to death. and
cause him days and nights of sleeples.
| anxiety. wondering how he is to ge
the money to pay her bills. shows tina
she has no aft ION for him. He /,
nothing to her but a money making