Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-01-13

In majority of counties, he says, the law
appears TO be well executed, with very ia
vorable results.
In dismssing the subject he reminds the
Legislature and the people of the State,
that while exercising the law as nocossa-
ry auxiliary in their efforts against intern
porance, they should not neglect to use all
moral influence within reach TO create and
maintain correct public sentiment on
this subjoct for on this the existence and
enforcement of the laws depend.
Gov. Clafin of Massachusetts, ON the
woman's suffrage question expresses the
following manly, just and statesmanliko
sentiments, which we commend to the at
tention of the citizens of our own State:
Woman's suffrage has recently been the
subject of much public discussion. If
brought to your attention, no doubt you
will give IL that consider alton which IL
properly deserves. Certainly that is no
trifling matter which concerns the interests
and duties of more than one-half of the
people of the Commonwealth.
The usages, the sentiments and the teach
ings Of past ages are indeed in opposition
TO this principle, but this is an age of
change and progress. The existence and
action of our republican government are
also in opposition to the customs of the ma
jority of nations, past and present. We ARE
accustomed TO examine each question in
dependontly on its intrinsic merits, and
we are not bound by the traditions of the
past.
With regard then, to the abstract right,
it is difficult TO see why one sex only should
be permitted to share in public affairs.
Whatever conclusions, however, we may
reach on this point, there can be no qucs-
ton that great injustice is done to woman
by many existing laws, and it is our duty
to relieve the statute books of these relics
of barbaric ages.
allude particularly TO those laws affect
ing the rights of property.
For instance a husband inherits all of
his wife's separate personal estate, while
she, under like circumstances, will inherit
only one-thrd of his; the husband can
dispose of all his personal estate by will,
but she can devise no more than .ono-half
Of her separate estate without his consent ;
a husbands separate decd can convey his
real estate, subject only to dover and
homestead without her consent, but her
deed conveying her own separate estate
without his consent is absolutely void.
The wife cannot convey her share in cor
poration, neither can she lease her separate
real estate for more than one year, without
her husbands consent. No such restric-
ton attaches TO the husbands stock in cor
porations, or leases of real estate, and
while wife within a specified time may
waive the provisions of her husbands will
| if it uniustly dcprives her of her proper
share of his property, yet, if she is insane
during that period of time, no such waiver
can be made, and the unjust will must
stand, so that if the death of her husband
causes her to lose her reason, she will with
it lose her just share of his property also.
There are laws also affecting the rights o
wo men in regard to children, which beai
severely upon her in the tendcrest re-
lations. The courts have often shielded
her of late years in these matters, realizing
doubtless that precedent and the usua
strict Interpretation of the laws often brine
| great injustice to many worthy and suffer
ing mothers, and lastinginjury to children
All such injustice and hardship should bt
eliminated from our laws, and this is pc
culiarly your function. The laws OF
State ought to express the sentiments an,
opinions of the people, but our statute
now fail to do this in many particular
deeply affecting the rights of woman.