The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-15
AN ANONYMOUS OPINION.

For once In our life we deviate from
an established rule and publish an
anonymous letter. The writer, evil
IDENTIFY a lawyer, will confer a favor
upon US personally by furnishing his
name, without which we cannot again
publish his excellent ideas:
To THE EDITOR OF THE NEW NORTHWEST:
AS you are jealous advocate of
woman's rights, l should like to make a
suggestion. Ii is this: While YOU are
making a commendable effort to adj
vance the political and social status of
woman think you would accomplish
much by urging the passage of a law
that would secure to married women
the full enjoyment Of property rights
It Is property that is considered now. IL
Is supposed 70 give weight, dignity, and
standing to individuals. Secure these
rights, and all others will follow as a
necessary result. The laws now in force
IN this State have to some extent soft
ened the TigOrs of the old common law
yet the most Odious features and burdens
imposed by that law still exist; and il is
time that the unity of husband and wife
be so far dissolved as to enable each TO
use and enjoy their separate property.
This cannot be done as the law now
stands, and there is no reason, except
an old fiction, why they should not
each hold, use, and enjoy separate prop
erty absolutely independent of each
other. The husband and wife are not
one person, By considerable.
\ woman may own real property
while she is single; but, if she marries.
this property, termed separate prop-
ART y - ~.
her husband without her consent and
against her will, and he may use and
enjoy the rents and profits in defiance of
her rights. Her husband may become
indebted, and the creditors of the hus-
band may take and sell on execution
the rents and profits of the wife's real
estate during the husbands life, aud
thus deprive her and her children of the
use aud enjoyment Of property that was
hers before marriage, and that her hus-
band never assisted in accumulating.
II the husband is prohigate, the wife
and her children may be turned out Of
her own home
II the wife owns personal property,
she must register il TO prevent her hus-
bands creditors from taking il on exc
cution, no matter when the husband
contracted the debt. | suggest to YOU
the idea Of urging amendments to the
laws so as to untetter married wOmen's
estates, and at the next legislature il
can be accomplished. When men are
convinced it Is better for all parties, it
will be done. do not write for publi-
cation. l may make other suggestions.
II is not necessary for you to know who
l am. desire TO see the legislation of
this State put woman upon an equality
with man.
To this we have only to say that mar
ried women are already blessed with a
great deal more statute law in their
favor than they can ever use until they
are lawmakers. They have found to
their cost that statutes that promise
them equal financial power, and yet de-
prive them Of the liberty to join with
men in making and enforcing laws, are
sure, in almost every case, to remain a
dead letter. While we thank our friend
for his suggestions, and hope to hear
from him again, we differ from his opin-
ION Of the order Of our mission. "Se-
cure property rights for woman he
says, "and all others will necessarily
follow" We answer, "Secure liberty
for her, and the rest will be added unto
US