Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-20
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER "A, 1878.
uus. LTvEBmORE's LECTURE

~
II is not often that the people of Rut-
land are allowed a better intellectual
treat than was furnished by the lecture
Of Mrs. LiVermore on Tuesday night of
This week, and so far as she advocated
higher culture, better physical develop
ment and more active habits for her own
sex, we most cordially agree with her.
The time is rapidly approaching when
the American girl will have all the facil-
tiles for obtaining an academic and collie
rate education that her brother enjoys.
The University of Vermont has opened
i,s doors to the female sex and two of
her four classes already have lady men,
bers, and they stand as well in their
classes and fall into the habits of discip-
line and thought, necessary for scholas-
tie advancement, so readily that they
rank high in their scholarship. We
favor the exercise by women of all in
dustria pursuits and occupations that
they feel they are competent to fill and
desire to engage in, and if they do equ-
ally good work of any kind, then let
them have the same pay.
In all these things we propose to so
far agree with Mrs. Livermore and her
co-workers, as to leave the whole matter
to the ladies themselves, to say what
sphere in life they shall occupy, and
what industries they shall engage in,
putting no further restrictions upon their
free volition than what their creator inn
posed upon them. Every plea for an
increased intelligence or usefulness for
any person of either sex and every con-
dition of life should be carefully listened
to and carried into effect so far as is pos
sible to do it. The great trouble with
Mrs. Livermore, is a chronic misappre-
hension of the power of legislation.
The women lecturers of the country are
not the only people who are deluded
with the idea that law and legislation, is
the great power that is to reform the
world, and bring order and happiness
where there was only disorder and misery.
In this we totally disagree with those
people. The great social, moral and in
telectual questions of the world are not
going to be settled by law. Reform
comes from a deeper sentiment, and far
ther down in the organization of society
than legislative assemblies.
Certainly no legislation is necessary to
allow our lady friends to remove the
burden of their clothing from the hips
to the shoulders, that rests with them
selves, neither is any law needed to adj
nit them into the industrial walks of
life. A woman may buy AMI sell pro-
perty, she may build houses and shoe
horses for all any legal restraint. There
is no law against her learning any me-
chanical trade or adopting any honest
means of livelihood, and statute de-
claring her rights to what she may do
without laws, would not help her q
single iota in her work or facilities for
doing business. Notwithstanding, Mrs.
Livermore thinks otherwise woman in
this state, at least, may own, hold and
dispose of property. She must have
her husbands name if married, to her
deed of real estate, and so must he have
hers to his deed if his homestead. She
may make her will and convey all her
estate, by precisely the same formalities
as man, subject to certain life rights of
herhusband, by curtesy, in herreal estate,
while when her husband makes his Will
and dies his widow may waive it and
take her dover and share of personal es-
tate under the law. If careful exam
nation of the laws are made it will be
found that wives are treated more ten
derby than husbands where any distinc-
ton is made
But the great burden of the complaint
against unjust laws, is as to the . own
ership" of children Now the law gives
no parents any " ownership in child
rem, in the sense in which that word is
usually applied to property. So far as
influence and power is concerned over 6
child, it is fact well known that thC
mother wields sceptre that no man car
ever hold The growing character O
every child who is blessed with the care
of mother, is largely formed by her
and while parents dwell together in the
affections of happy home, the clashing
ownership of children is never felt
II is only where there are separation:
that these embarrassments are felt anC
in such cases we beg leave to inquire
what could be better than to allow tho
court that DEGREES the separation, or be
fore whom the question of custody Of
children is raised, to decide for or agaihs'
either party, as the merits OF the case
and the good of the child may require
under the circumstances of each case
and such is the law of this State now
So far as Mrs. L, appealed to the people
TO correct abuses of fashion and custom
and entreated her sex to take highel
place in the world and in society, she il
doing good work, but when she seeks
to bring about additional legislation fol
women's rights, we fear she does no
quite understand for what she is asking
Let the ladies do as they please on al
these questions, but please don't burder
MS with any more unnecessary laws.
The Chinese are largely adulteratine
their teas. In London there are 10, 900,
OOo pounds in bond which have beer
condemned as unfit for consumption.