A question of the centuries has been: "Should men and women observe the same standards of sex morality in marriage?" In the autumn Jot 1934 this question became vital again when ¢he legislative yuan of ithe national government considered the revision of the criminal code regarding the provisions for punishment of adultery. When the question came up for consideration one lof the representatives of the legisla tive yuan ridiculed the idea of single standard of morality. sayin "it a single standard of punishment were passed by this yuan we would nave to put 300,000,000 men in prison." This was obviously a hypothetical guess and a gross exjegeeration on the part of the legisla-for, but it indicates the popular Jacceptance of the practice of sex intercourse for men outside of their fmarviage relationship. The, legis five yuan faced this question:
posite, and ts Ne desirable to try to establish a single standard of sex morality?" go—in first class houses the price may be as much as $10 or more a night; in fourth class houses 10 coppers will pay for a visit. The coolie Jon the street is thus not denied sex freedom because of poverty.
This prevalence of prostitution. throughout history gives conclusive evidence that for men it was consi-Jdered legitimate that they should he given freedom in sex choice. It he iwas living away from his own home jin another place, then custom fallowed that a man might go fo a prostitute's house; if he were enter~ {taining and desired to have these girls as partners for the guests at this party, he was free to do the tired of his wife and wished variety—this was privilege. A wife Jcould not bring charges of unfaithfulness because this was his right. /For women there was a different code, It was a code that was strict Jand unrelenting in its provision for chastity.
The Bases for a New Standard The Old Standards The ethics of the past in China is Jclear both in custom and in law. Punishment was severe for the woman who committed adultery. JFor the man—there was no punish: ment, The law said, "A divorce must take place if the wife commits adultery. The husband has the right to kill both adulterers if he surprises them in dhe act. If he does not kilt the wife, she is punished and sold as a concubine" No mention Iwas made of the husband. Supjporedly he was not punishable. JAdultery was not one of the causes whereby a' woman might seek [divorce from her husband.
The development and open recognition of the social institution of prostitution through the history of [China is evidence of the sanction of different standards of morality between men and women. Prostitution spoken of early in the records of the "Han dynasty. Several hundred years later in the Sui and Tang Jdynasties it was said that proptitution flowered into perfection. A king of the Sui dynasty kept 3,000 prostitutes.in the palace grounds where he built special houses for them. The capital in Loyang and ithe commercial city of Yangchow Jwere both famous for their beaullful prostitutes. Poets and scholars wrote lines to them. The prostitutes themselves often wrote poetry and Jwere women of loiters for they associated with men of culture and learning in a froe intellectual way Jnot known to wives. Some delicate poetry written by these women tells of their lonely lives. One of them in the Tang dynasty wrote:
In front of my gate the mei hua blos-some in Full glory, Inside the closed door T embroider my dancing. gown.
Lam toft alone to bulld my future While "those "who "have homes £0
Two bases upon which the double standard was maintained for three thousand years. were (1) the physiological disability of women because of possible conception, and (2) their economic dependence' upon their husbands. If women had sex relationships, they were lable to become pregnant. Discovery was Inevitable, Women were penalized for a physiological function over Jwhich they had no control. Then, upon discovery and their husband's displeasure they had no means of [livelihood it their husbands divorced. them.
'To-day there have come three factors which release women to a new freedom from the old restric~ tions. First, the industrial revolution, is bringing' opportunities to women itor economic. livelihood and. independent earnings. Formerly a woman had to tolerate her husar actions because she would have been destitute without his support.
The second factor freeing women that of education. The new Jeducation is stimulating ideas of equality and freedom of relation ship between men and women. This makes women no longer willing to tolerate customs which they feel are harmful to them and their family: life. The third factor is the intro"
Jduction of the idea of birth control Women now have a basis, upon which they can participate in sex relationships without giving concep dion, The old physiological penalty This places women in a new position. They are able to have a voice the standards of sex morality of the society of which they are a part. it they feel that double standards fare injurious, they can voice their opinion and develop new attitudes. They are in a position of new power, such as they have never held'in all history.
These women, mostly sold from poor homes into the houses, of prostitution, had little chance of being taken away. Sometimes one who was lovely might be bought out by wealthy man as a concubine,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.