The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-06-20

something wL!rA SIZE can not do herself
simply because sh: viii Not. While
she herself desires to vote for members
of the school committee, she wants to
register ander the name Of Lucy Stone,
whereas her proper name is Lucy
Blackwell. But she wants to ignore
her husbands name (which he gave to
her, of %course) in the transaction. 1t
has been decided by the city attorney
Of Boston that she can't do this. Hence
Lucy's s~tubbornness, or vanity, or
whatever you choose to call 1t, will
prevent her from exercising the right Of
suffrage.
This Is not the first instance wherein
Lucy's eccentricity in this respect APP
peared before the public. Several
months ago she refused to sign a deed
to property which her husband was
about TO sell. She was perfectly will
ing to write the name of Lucy Stone
on the instrument, but the purchaser
quickly objected to this, as the deed in
that case would be worthless. Lucy
would not inscribe her proper name of
Blackwell, so the transfer of property
was not made.
And why does Lucy Stone, or Lucy
Blackwell, refuse to recognize her OWE
true name? Her explanation is, that
to sign BLACKWELL. :" would be an adj
mission that she had no name of her
own, but was dependent upon a man
for one, which dependence should not
be expected of women. But has Lucy
done any better in adherlng to the cog
of Stone? That was her fathers
name, SO she depended on a man after
all. Lucy's mother forsook her maid
en- name for that of her husband. So
If Lucy would be consistent in her
principle, ~ she should at once take
her mothers maiden name. But then
that name was also gotten from a man.
So she would have to go back for gen
erations for the maiden names of her
''ancestresses''and take the very earliest
she can find. And even that name she
must know, was obtained from II man,
and ten chances to one it would turn
out to be Blackwell.
If Lucy would be further consistent,
her children must adopt her name of
Stone. For it is a principle of law
that children inherit the name of their
mother, who gets her name from her
mother or husband. If Stone is Lucy's
correct name, all of her children by
Mr.. Blackwell must be called Stone.
Hapless BLACKWELL isn't this worse
than an old hen with a brood of young
ducks2
To go further: Lucy's principle(?)
leads directly into free love, for under
such social regulations women would
not need to change their names, and
they could have all the children they
wanted, and they would bear their
mothers maiden IN What is the
use of the law of marriage if the won
en- are not to accept the names of their
husbands? BY this means only is legit-
imacy insured and protected.
We can par don the vanity of Lucy
Stone in using that name in her chosen
profession of woman's rights champion.
She gained celebrity under that name.
But couldn't she do a Harriet Beech
er Stowe has done? Everybody knows
that she is one of the Beecher family.
"Lucy Stone BLACKWELL" would still
enable people to know who VAS meant.
But that would be initiating others, and
Lucy is nothing if not original. Hew-
ever, Lucy might still indulge her fan
cy according TO her ''own sweet will"
In immaterial affairs. But in matters
of signing deeds, registering as a voter,
and other things required by law, she
should sensibly use her proper and only
cognomen. Otherwise the world must
set her down IS a foolish virgin, seeing
she retains her virgin name.