The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-05-09
DISABILITIES OF WOMEN.
The Denis8I of GHe Right Of Suf-
fra.e and of Holding Political
Office Seem 40 be about the
Last Eeemnam of "a Once
Form iGl "a BILE List.

New York Journal of Commerce: The
barbarous phrase used by the law to dis
tinguish Il married woman from single
one is fast losing its Significance in the
courts of this country. Feme cocert and
jeme sole are rapidly approximatlng each
other IN position before the law, AMI both
together are taking long steps toward the
plane of civil life occupied heretofore in
many parts exclusively by men. One of
the most remarkable signs Of this advance
was a recent bar meeting in Chicago, at
which resolutions were passed referring
in high complimentary terms to the mem
orv Of Miss Huiett, the first woman, we
believe to rise out of the position of tute-
laga in which her sex have ever been held
by the law, to become ANA omitted and re-
s1ected professor of its mysteries. 1t is of
much less significance that woman have
fairly obtained entrance to the medical
profession, and are now going into it by
scores, duly armed with diplomas which
entitle them to the recognition of their
brethren in the same field, because no
matter how zealou5y women have been
excluded therefrom in the past, the pub
lie readily perceive the peculiar fitness of
the sex for the exercise Of at least some
important departments of the healing
art. But the legal profession, apart from
the qualities requisite for its pursuit, con-
sidered by itself is the very next step
ping stone to the legislative department
Of government. An inspection of our
congressional and legislative records shows
that lawyers constitute very large pro-
portion of those who make and admins
ter the laws. Women may become doc
tors, artists, feme sole traders and the like,
and no particular consequence follows;
but if they are lawyers, worthy of being
praised as such by obituary meetings of
the bar, it is hard to prevent the conclu-
sion that they may become Legislators as
we'll as the thousands of their brethren.
The number of women at the bar is not
yet enough, indeed, to force this conclu-
sion instantly upon us. Meanwhile two
recent incidents serve by contrast to IL
lustrate the progress which the western
world in particular has been making of
late wears toward the Acknowledgement of
women. The first is decision by an
English court for the consideration of
crown cases reserved, founded upon the
ancient legal axiom that man and wife
are but one, and that one the man. 1t
was held that for this reason the taking
of the husbands property by the wife,
without his knowledge or consent, is no
theft, for of course a man cannot steal
from himself. The other incident we
have in mind is the passage of law by
the Connecticut legislature placing that
land of steady habits among the foremost
&c the States which concede full property
rights to married women. Next after
/, New York, Minnesota may be considered
leader among these States, since by the
| law of that commonwealth married wo-
man can make any contract she might
] make if unmarried, except that the hus-
| band must join in the deed Of her realty.
| The legal fiction that man and wife are
one is badly broken by the statutory con
cession that husband and wife may con
tract with each other, without the inter
vention of trustees and we suppose il
follows from this privilege that they may
sue each other, as indeed, if our reool.
lection serves Us rightly, it has been de
cided they may, in the courts of New
| York State. Short of an absolute di
| vorce from the bonds of matrimony,
nothing would seem to sever>more com,
pletely the venerable traditional if moi
divinely appointed relations between man
and wife than this extraordinary privi
lege. Though in many of the State,
married women still lack the separate
property rights which others have wisely
conceded, in none can they fairly expec
to get beyond the position which enables
a wife to bring her husband into cour
and compel his performance of an ordin
airy contract with her. Where also, a.
in this State, married woman has com
plete control of her separate property
during life, and may dispose of it abso
lutely by will, tenancy by the courtesy
being left aside, it would appear that few
disabilities remain to give point to com
plants about the present subsection o
women" The denial of the right of suf
frage and of holding political office seen
to be about the last remnants Of a ono
/ form III a HE LIST