Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-02-25
RI.s,. ~ NIorrIed TVono1.

and Liabilities Of Married Women,r pro-
vides, In substance, that the estate, real and,
personal, Of the wife shall not BY ths mar
risge, pass to the husband but shall 10 and
remain her separate property and under her
sole conhol-the same as if NO marriage
had taken place. The rule applies also to
property acquired during coverture, by gift,
device or purchase, with her own money.
To this end she is empowered to contract,
purchase, sell and convey, and to sus and
defend in her own name, and may even
maintain suit against her husband, in behalf
Of her separate estate. .-.-. T.
The idea of the author of the bill appears
to be single-to preserve substance in the
hands Of the families by which it was accu-
mulsted. He saw but one evil-mnltitudes
of proAigate young men marrying heiresses,
running rapidly through with their Estates
and then leaving them TO destruction-and
that evil he endeavored to provide against.
The bill is a piece of what is the most
common thing in the world: legislation upon
a false principle. For the sake of few ex-
ceptional bad cases, it declares a rule which
is alike restraint upon all. The author has
probably but faint conception of the null
titude of various consequences that would
follow the introduction Of such rule nor
of the infinite domestic divisions and dis
tu1bances that would be the inevitable effect
of its enforcement. He was moved by the
tears and sufferings of the poor young
woman who had foolishly thrown herself
away upon some brainless spendthrift, who
scattered her dollars and alienated her acres,
and then departed suddenly for the other
world, leaving nothing for wife and babies to
live upon; and determined TO lay himself
out upon law 10 put stop to sncb pro-
ceediDgs. To prevent their recurrence be
devises bill that operates to punish the
thrifty and honorable as well as the unthrifty
and proAigate; and the question arises: how
much will humanity gain by the operation2
All that is important in this bill may
easily be gained by the practice Of marriage
settlements, leaving the hitherto general
policy Of the law as it is. And so it should
be left. Let the author, if possible, take
view of the effects of his law in some other
aspect. As general rule, in whose hands
is the property of a woman, especially if she
be young and inexperienced, the most un-
safe 2 Probably in her own. Here and
there husband will manage badly, and
squander his wifes estate; but ignorant of
business and of the value of money, the
women who would economic and manage
rightly their own property, would be far
between exceptions.
There is something to be done by legisla-
ton for the benefit of the women, but it is
not by laws, that look solely to the integ-
rity ofaccumulated wealth, and the respect
ability of which it is the symbol. There
shl uld be law to protect the earnings of
married women against being snatched and
squandered by drunken and worthless hus-
bands. The drunkenness or the worthless
ness of the husband should be expressly
made the foundation of the rights of the
wife to retain and control her wages or her
property, which are now-to our shame be it
said-at bis mercy.
There should also be a law to protect from
execution the necessary household furniture
and implements Of trade of single women !;
as there is in case of married ones and their
husbands. Why widow or spinster may
be stripped, by the constable, OF the last
article of value, to satisfy the cravings of a
creditor, while the utensils and implements
Of wife are holden sacred from execution,
we are unable to understandi but certain it
must be that the reason is ore that reflects
no credit upon our humanity or our CHRIS
| tanity.