Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-09-03
For the Free Press and Timea-
No Misconcepiian.

BYo. C. W.
i did nor anticipate any discu sion upon
the topie TO which you have had me cOu'-
.osr 20 ,iIow me to call the attention OF
The re,ds,. Of the FREE Press AND TINES.
The .ul.iec: may allow discussion but not
d.bate Tnere is really only one side to the
matter, and this fact is what renders 1t 80
amazip, that the gross injustice have ar
ra;gned should he allo".t Ia tisP~sc' our
s,atute book- The FREE Press thinks our
Legislators have " Intended to do right.
And il !. some relief to have the RESPONSE
biliry shifted from the moral to the intellect
nal nature. uoaeyer stupid mca may be,
or however ignorant. it is relic. % knO"
that they d" intend to do ris-t.
I do not l;kl 10 rest Under the impGiA-
tion of even " misconception upon this
subject With all respect for the FREE
pRrss. | think no error a. to the lar can
he touud in nv articles. | AN not ignorant
of the fact. that in case husband dies the
widow has a third Of the personal property
absolutely, and the use OF thlrc OF the
real estate, if there is any. The difference
that the law makes between husband and
wife, il that it gives the vile one thlrd, IL
the property is personal, and the use OF one
third. if i; Is real estate. while 1t gives Inc
irhole, absolutely. OF the p rsonal property
and three thirds of the real estate. absolute
" to the husband The fact that both have
earned it jointly-the fact that the woman
has performed twice the labor-makes no
difference if hs dies two thirds are taken
away from the wife. If there are no child
rem. while if she dies nothlngls taken away
from the husband
am not ignorant OF the existanee OF a
homestead law, 50 that IN case the husband
dies the wife i entitled TO a homestead u
the value of $500. And, | am aware, too,
that if the wife dies, the husband has not
lust five hundred dollars set OF to him. a.
a homestead, but has the cholc minus the
debts, and these he may pay II he can. Inc
law does't undertake to settle his estate De-
cause his wife dies.
know too that the law aIiOrds some pro-
lection to property coming 10 the VIE oy
inheritance, in case the husband does NOT
get it into his possession. But the great
evil and injustice remain, that the law
makes AN ullOuS anu Outrageous N'7'''-N
ton betw cen husbands and wives, IN the
matter of the settlement u! estates j nus
band cannot riH away the wlle's thId, OF
the use OF it during her life, bat he can
will. without her consent, fico thirds ol II,
if it exceeds $500, and away from his rye
children, too, even though she may have
earned il BY her labor and taken care oil II
By her prudence. 1t the joint property be
$50, 900, what is there to hinder the nus
bands giring 10000 OF 1t away MAi,e
alive, or willing it away? Can the wife Do
any such thing with property they boh
own? What ask Is to treat tnem dhke.
Give them the same rights, and the same
responsibilities,
THANK you for not including the winter
among the " monsters presume
might return the compliment. The subject
| have discussed is important. What
hoped was that what have said might
possibly ho a small handful Of shavings ID
- serve a. kindlings" 1t often occurs that
all that Is necessary to start the rlghtlng OF
great wrong, Is for somebody to make a
suggestion.
II the ,DoH.en Jf our country don't care
anything bout il, with all their intelligence,
don't propose to allow their indifference T.
disturb me seriously. Yours, q. "a. W