Show i. i Great Great Work For Women TO A lIBELER 1 WILCOX Two women travelers from Los Ani An- An i fieles elps Cal Col spent more than a year car in India They were Investigating the child marriage c evil 0 Th They were deeply impre impressed by hy the tho horrible conditions in that country resulting from mar child c. c On Or their return to to America they were Wore anxious to enlist the tho Interest and sympathy of their countrywomen in inthe Inthe inthe the cause of the little wi cs of ot India often orten married at tho the tender age of o C G. G The custom of or child manage was not r- r of religious origin as ns ancient sacred writings prove Before Detore the invasion of ot the marriage child Idea childhood hood in 55 India was joyous and the thought of or trying to restore that happy state me met with favor or at ot homo home and abroad marriage Child I L said to date data from the tithe time of oC the Mohammedan Invasion in A. A J 1 D. D The laws which they the in- in Inc Introduced c and enforced allowed them l r to l kidnap any girl not married and thus to save the tho girls from this fate tate It was arranged to havo them married ns early carl as aa possible Sometimes they J were married b by proxy before the they were born horn when If lC tho the sex proved to tobo bo ho well n assorted tho ceremony was considered 1 legal and binding binding- until death did them part but If the tho gen gen- gene e ders Ier were not all that was desired the ther r whole holo anco was laughed o over i as aR a a good Joke From such a source lids hia accumulated this mountain of or sorrow sor sor- Tow row and wron wrong All European parents will agree r that the marriage of Indian children or of or little girls to middle aged and old men i Is a crime against nature whIch has no redeeming feature Tho The Thos s custom Is a great reat hindrance to the Iny In- In 4 y advancement of the people for the little girl must not bo be taught raught t after marriage must be begin ln at o cince once co to tob b be the tho household drudge of her hu husbands husband's hus- hus v bands band's never family family never speaking In his 4 i ft presence nor In the presence of his j brothers rs except to reply when Inter Inter- It aL aLso aLco o deprives tho ho girl of or ft what little self-respect self she sho ma may have and makes her a perfect passive be being being be- be ing without hope hOI in this world worl or 01 for the t no as ns the tyranny and oppression oppression oppression op op- op- op of the husband dues does not end with his death but hut is carried ov over or r to the next world throughout hout which tho little wife wICe must serve on A man may bo be a a. vile and loathsome loathsome loathsome loath loath- some creature lie ho may be he blind a lunatic an nn Idiot a a. leper or diseased In a worse wor-e form ho ma may be fifty sixty or seventy years oars old and may maybe maybe maybe be married to a girl of five live or ten who positively cl loathes his presence but if IC he claims her she must go so The Indo America Womans Woman's Restoration Restoration atlon lea league i is working to secure a law In India which shall raise e tho the acor age ac of or marriage to sixteen n years Tho The following petition has been Leon presented p to the tho viceroy His Excellency the Viceroy and Gov Gov- G General error of India May Alay it please your Excellency The undersigned ladies adies practising medicine in India respectfully crave your our excellency's attention to the following following fol tol- fol- fol lowing facts and considerations 1 L Your Four excellency is aware that the present state of the tho Indian law permits marriages to bo ho consummated I Inot not only onh before the wife physically qualified for tho the duties of ot maternity but before she Is able to perform tho the duties of the conjugal relation thus giving rise ilso to numerous and great evils 2 This marriage practice has hns become be- be become be come tho the cause causa of gross immoralities and cruelties which owing to existIng existing existing exist exist- ing le legislation come como practically practical under the protection of 01 the th law In some cases the tho law has permitted clde vide grid and protected men who vho under other circumstances Jm would have been ben criminally punished d. d 3 The Tho institution of ot chU mar child mir 1 I rests reste upon public sentiment vitiated by degenerate religious customs customs cus- cus toms and misinterpretation of rIi j i ious sous books Thero There arc aio thousands thousand among among the tho better ed educated cl classes clashes s 3 who would rejoice if IC tho the government go would take the tho initiative and make such a a. law as ur plead plad for and in tho the end tho the masses manses would he be grateful for Cor their deliverance from tram the galling yoke that has bound them to poverty po superstition and the slavery slavery slav slav- ery en o of custom for tor centuries 4 The present system of or child child- marriage c. c In addition to the physical 11 and moral effects which the Indian government go havo have deplored produces sterility and consequently becomes an excuse for the introduction of other wives child lu In n tho the family thus becoming becoming be be- coming cOlln a n Justification for polygamy 6 C. This system panders to s sensuality sensual sensual- eni ual- ual ity lowers the tho standard of or health and morals degrades the race and tends to perpetuate itself and all its attendant attendant attendant attend attend- ant evils to all nil future generations C G. G The lamentable case of tho the child child- wile wife Phulmani DassI of or Calcutta which v has hus excited the sympathy and find the tho righteous indignation of or tho the Indian Indian Indian In In- dian public Is only one of the tho many cases that are arc continually happening the final results being quito quite as horrible horrible horrible horri horri- ble but sometimes sometImes' less immediate The following instances havo o come como under tho the personal observation of or one or another of Your lour Excellences Excellence's petitioners petitioners pe pe- pe- pe Tho list presented Is too horrIble horrible horrible horri horrI- ble for publication In any periodical save a 3 medical journal In Inlow view low of or tho the above facts the undersigned lad lady doctors and medical practitioners appeal to Your Four Escol- Escol lency's compassion to enact or introduce Introduce introduce Intro intro- duce a measure by which the consummation consummation consummation con con- summation of marriage shall shan not be permitted before the wife has attained attain attain- ed the full cun age agA of four fourteen 14 years The Tho undersigned venture to trust that the terrible urgency of or the thc matter will be bo accepted as ns an nn excuse for the Interruption of or Your Tour Excel Excel- honeys honey's time and attention |