The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-01-10

1k3 OF j2fAspE1usDgS. n0Ma progress
has been made 10 reforming The law 10
this state. but IL has been done. a.
have alfeAdy said, by patchwork and
shreds. sometimes II! considered and
often 20 iucengruoas AZ 10 provoke ver.
atious liligationaul defy the wisdom Of
the courts The property relations Of
husband aud wife 90 sot to-day rest
90 any just u harmonious system. Not
only has the husband absolute control
and disposal Of al bis owu property,
freed from Ill dover rights. but be is
practically the owner during eoverture
Of all bis wiies estate not specially
limited to her separate use aud after
her death has. 10 every case. life use
ia al her personal and in most cases
IN all her real property by title which
the wife, no matter what may have
been bis i'll deserts. is powerless TO in
pair or defeat, whereas, on the other
hand. the wife has during the husbands
life no more power Of her own right TO
sell. convey, or manage her own estate
than If she were lunatic or slave, and
in case Of his death has life use 10
only one.third part Of the real estate Of
which he dies possessed, and no indie
feasible title whatever in any OF his
personal estate. As consequence a
husband may strip the wife by mere
voluntary disposition TO strangers, Of
all claim on his estate after his death,
aud thus add beggary to widowhood.
| am sure this cannot seem right to
any fair minded man. Neither is it
strange that some Of our country
women. stuDg by the injustice Of the
law towards their sex, should be Do
manding, as a mode Of redress part
in the making Of the laws which gov
cru them. | am confident there is
manhood enough 10 our sex TO right
this obvious wrong to which ! have
alluded. therefore recommend that
the law on this subject be go recast
that. in all marriages hereafter con
tracted, the wife shall hold her prop.
erty and all her earnings for personal
services, not rendered TO her husband
or minor children, as sole and separ
ate estate, with absolute power Of dis
position 10 her own name, and that the
surviving wife shall have by law, the
same measure Of estate in the property
of the deceased husband as the surviv.
ing husband shall be allowed TO have
in the property Of his deceased wife.
This will reduce their property rela-
tons to a principal Of equity. aud in
my judgment is demanded by the most
obvious dictates Of justice and equity
Those who are not satisfied with this
can make a different law for themselves
by ante.nuptial settlements. am not
rnmindiul that the husband alone is
liable 10 the FIRST instance for the sup
ort Of the family but this is much
more than neutralized by the fact that,
in most cases the wife's whole life lie
spent in toilsome and unpaid services
OF the household, aud that the whole
drift Of her estate, in consequence Of
her more unseltish aud generous nature,
is towards her Acknowledgements in
spite Of all the guards Of the law and
every consideration Of prudence.
The above Recommendation in regard
to recastiDg the law in respect 10 the
property rights Of married women is
so Justly and vigorously stated that we
have tho highest hopes Of legislative
action upon il Not alone lin Counec-
ticut bat in many other New England
aud eastern states the present condition
OF the law is disgrace TO our manhood
to every idea of fair play, 1t is simply
moustrous that the husband can so
completely gobble up the separate
property OF his life and we might
well 10 futber and say that it is equally
unjust that the wife should not have
an equal right and share in the prop.
erty accumulated during marriage.
The husband is popularity supposed to
make it, but We take no account Of
the thrift and economy Of his wife. nor
Of the value OF her service 10 the house
and in The family In perhaps the ma
jority Of cases. certainly in agricultural
regions. the wealth il doe quite az
much 10 the woman az 10 the man
aud 10 nearly all cases the duties which
she discharges are quite as important,
just ss necessary to the comfort Of life
and the well being Of society as those
he 10 busy with. We wait 70 see which
state will lead of ia radical removal
Of this anmaalY Injustice
The foregoing. which we publish
by request, Is hardly applicable to this
state. Our Laws have been modified
wilbin the past few years 80 that a
married woman can bold property, both
personal and real estate. 10 Der own
name. and ID certain cases can transfer
il without the consent Of her husband
Even Al be, death il does not 70 to
him. though the last legislature amend.