Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1852-07-07

doubt, if give fragmentory details of things that
attracted attention with or without
commonly while there.
As remarked in preceding number, the laws regard
ing womens property rights are in some respects, more
favorable in Pennsylvania than in State Mar
red have the absolute ownership and control of
all their real personal and mixed property, possessed
before marriage inherited, acquired by gift, &c,
after marriage. This right has been released to them
since S4S, and the consequence is already in the
accumulang wealth and influence nf the female half
of community. Before ten years passed. full one
half the wealth of the State will be in the hands of her
women. 1t is already conceded, by majority eff the
.sost intelligent men-and cannot be denied with the
Of the revolt of orefaters from British rue
in sacred remembrancc-that single women, owning
property, ought have the right vote TO the OBJ
ees and amount of taxes which bear upon their pecu
mary means If it is the possession and control of pro-
perry which gives right TO representation, will be
that the laws releasing to married women their
long withheld property rights, will furnish rea
equally unanswerabe for giving the right of repre-
senaion 10 married women property being sure, in the
long run, TO attach generally to the wife 10 the
husband under laws securing TO her. real personal and
mixed property In State married women
cannot hold personal and mixed property consequent
ly property rights do not to the means OF
capital in any business pursuits whatever. We cannot
farm real estate, because canno. hold possession
of the stock and implements. We cannot invest in
mechanics or merchandise, in boarding houses,
schools or manufactures So that the law securing 10
real estate is very much like Tantalus cup-we can
and anticipate, but may not fully enjoy it. The
women of Pennsylvania provided for in one
respect Those having property, either real, per-
sonal Mixed but only right of dover in the estates
which they have assisted 10 accumulate, not pro-
vded for during the time which transpres after the
husbands death before the final settlement. widow
confined her bed by proracted sickness cannot touch
single penny for board clothing, nursing or medical
treatment until The estate is settled and her share in 1t
de,ermined-no matter how large or how small the
property to be divided.
In PENNSYLVANIA the clothing of the deceased hus
band is inventoried with the other effects 81 the widow
may buy them if she have The means; otherwise her
sympahies must be outraged by seeing them pass TO
the use and possession of others Is any wonder then
that these are prepared to meet the sneers OF
those who charge them with aspiring TO possess them
selves of their husbands clothes? Certainly the aec
onae wife may well petition for the right 10 possess
her husbands clothing TO the same extent that he pos
sesses hcrs-for is fact that wearing apparel be-
]
or sell our clothing for drink they do So and when
we die our clothes not inventoried among our eff
fects the husband does with them he fit, and
no administrators commissioners spy out their fash
ion or value Let the women of Vermont retort upon
those who charge them with "wanting the breeches,
that men hare made laws securing to themselves the
peticoats.
1t is no wonder that as women open their eyes and
&c la,rs
their interests in the most responsible and tender rea-
tions, they should camor for a change. Look at the
exemption laws of any State in the Union, enacted
prior 1850, and what do find has been the rule
Has any exemption law secured single comfort
to the wife and mother? The COW, the pig the bed and
the half dozen cooking and eating utensils of different
kinds, which have been exempted from attachment by
the CREDITOR have never been exempted from sale oil
transfer by the husband He could sell for rum, oil
give away for Spite the last poor bed chair and table
ave the last morsel of bread from his wife and babes
No exemption laws have ever secured women in the
homes home comforts. Only one two States havt
recently made their homestead exemptions rest in Tho
wife, at the husbands death. We have known, time
and again. of the family being broken up and thrown
upon charity for subsistence, because the husband
father had sold the cow pig & household stuff exemp
ted from attachment for debt. Where is the benevo
lence, or justice even, of such exemption laws?
This legal dependence reminds of incident o
our journey. A fine little fellow in the Springfield
offering newspapers to the gentlemen passen
gers He took a seat next me, and scan you tell me
my son. why the news-boys offer their papers
the ladies', but only the gentlemen Is it because they
think the ladies not fond of readng'" 81 guess
ma am, replied the observing boy sit is because they
think the men have all the money!
! But will not dwell longer these facts. w,
merely mention them good why womer
should not rest content with laws securing the mi
nority who happy to have them real persona
and mixed property. The great majority of women
like men, rich and from want, only in thei
ability to what is called property; and they are
still exposed to all the wrongs of that fundamental out
rage natural rght-legal inability possess in the
own right the means of subsistence and independent
discharge of relative duties.
We were struck with the absurdity of the common
assertion that women not competent to attempt
more than the of their families and therefore
should not attempt anything In our visit 10 the
Delaware County Poor House, we found little bit o.
a weighing about ninety pounds, at the head o.
family of about ninety pauPers, twenty-five of them
insane The house, from garnet 10 cellar, nicely
ordered and clean the best parlor The cupboards
storerooms closets filled with the winter bedding, al
fresh washed and repaired for winter agunthe cloth
ing dto-and the patches washed and sorted,
the weekly wash sorted and labeled with the owners
or wearer's This woman, with the insane, the
half wtted and the feeble for her main working force
conducted and personally assisted in every department
of the house. With countenance all kindness anI
energy, she spoke having authority and secured
cheerful obedience and cooperation from the unruly
and the selfish. The womanly, in her moral & menta