The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-07-20
RIGHTS OF MARRIED WOMEN.
Extract From u speech by Robe a
Dale owen. Delivered Twenty
seven Years AGO.
From The Indianapolis Sentil

81 should like to have little more
confidence in his opinion than expert
ence has given me should like, Tor
the honor OF my SEA, TO believe that the
legal rights of women are, at all Tins.
rs jealousy guarded MS they would be II
women had votes To give 10 those who
watch over their interests, and 10 with
hold from those who pass by "A? 4 neglect
them. | impute to TO gentleman the de-
hberatv rn!eatiou 10 render less
than justice to the other sex,
merely because they have not
the right OF suffrage. But | say that self.
interest is marvellous sharpener OF the
wits; and causes us t. think OF, and en-
ables Us to discover many things, which,
without il qulckeniug Influence, might
escape our observation But let US turn
to the question immediately before Us.
Let Us pass from the case OF the widow,
and look to that Of the wife; and let IL
inquire whether the interests of the one
are better cared for than those OF the
other. The old doctrine Of the common
law that the legal existence of the womsn
Is suspended during the msrrlsge-the
same doctrine that has existed for CEN
turtles IN Eugiand-stiil Substantially
regulates, IN majority OF the States, the
relation O! husband and wife, as to prop
erty IA general way. The legal effect
OF marriage Is:
IL The husband becomes entitled,
from the Instant OF marriage, to all the
goods and chsttels OF the wife. His
right is absolute, unconditional. he
may sell every part OF the wite's person
al property, whether owned by her be
fore marriage or coming 10 her after
marriage, except only ner necessary APP
parei y married womsn cannot there
| fore, legally eel the smallest aruce u
persona! property; she cannot legally
give away the most trring t'inke;, t."
matter whether it WAS lGnerltrd, or the
produce even of her owa labor \
| farmers wife can not, in her own rlga.,
! sell the poultry she has rNisr', OF 80"
| butter she has made. even If u husband
neglect TO provide tor MS children. Nad
the wife, oy her labor, supper. zen th"
! produce of uer labor l. h.. Say luni ic
| mas sQuaudered what money "a" asu 90
| dissipation; ard thu. III the meat
| time, his wife, faithful t. her uun'
duties, has co trived. by constant LABOR
rs seamStress, perhaps, or ii wasncr""
man, to supply his place. SUPP, se that
| she hal laid by in her trunH-the ssm'
trunk, perhap., in which her mother mai
/ packed, with careful, hands, on her
/ daughters marriage day, the little prop
erty she had to give her-supppse tnst
the wife had LAID by IN that trunk lew
dollars, hardly and bitterly earned saved
/ with officially ~ II Scanty fund TO iuT-
/ ni.h clothing Tor her children against the
lnclemency of the winter. And suppose
/ (alss! how often Is the se 3 real one
that the drunken has band comes home IN
the evening, breaks open the trunk anu
carries Oft the money; Is that larceny
Has he stolen? BY no means. He
broke open his own trunk; he tOok-so
the law declare III. own money.
But IN securing to married wome"
rights OF property, We must bear IN mil q
that those rights bring with them dutl's.
. The laws of New York, Wisconsin aud
/ other States seem 10 have been framed IL
torgetfulness OF this; but the civil law
ad nits and provides for it-requiring
/ that the wife shall bear n
portion of the marriage eN
penses. This proportion varies
according to the necessity OF the case
/ and the means of the wife. To meet
ttis, constitutional provision should de-
clare that the property of msrried We
men shall be declared 10 them, under
equitable conditions. Il is for the law
atierwsrd t. determine in detail what
/ these cor dItlons shall be.