Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-21
coming children? And where will
the Christian family be found?

the Christian family be found?
Oh! Christian Legislators! Pro.
tect the family! For it is the only
invulnerable bulwark upon which
this Christian Government can stand
immovabie, amid the conflict of ages.
But the Government seems now to be
pursuing the same course towards
the married women, as the Southern
ers did to quiet the rising aspirations
of their slaves for liberty, engendered
by the auti-slavery movement, which
was, to " modify" their slavish con-
dition, by giving them some statute
rights, such as holding garden
spot, and certain portion Of their
wages &c, &c, and then inquiring
" Are you not satisfied now, when
we have given you all these privi-
liges?"
"No!' lie would say, Il am truly
glai to have some Of the rights of a
free man. But I want my liberty
my right to myself, SO that I may be
regarded as a being, in law and not
as "A chattle." SO we married women
are very thankful to have SO many
statute rights accorded to us by
" modifying our common law basis.
But this does not satisfy US.
We want IL right to ourselves, as
much as we bad before marriage.
Or, in other words, we do want to
be recognized as women in law, after
marriage, just rs much as we were,
before marriage, and not be required
to lose our identity, as women, any
more by being married, than the
men do their own identity by bein g
married. Our identity remember,
is suspended during coverture,"
while theirs is not suspended, at all.
That is, we two become one by los
ing our identity and they retaining
theirs, 80 that one is the husband.
Now we DO want tc he recognized in
law as women, with our own iden-
tity unimpaired, instead Of as slaves,
with no identity at all; for this main
reason which my bill implies, viz. ),
SO that we can have as good right
to have children, after marriage as
before marriage! That is, we do
want to have our rights of mater
nifty as well protected an the mar
rage relation as out of it.
As it is now, the single woman
has her maternity protected to her,
by allowing her to have the custody
of her illeeitimate child until this
child is fourteen years of age, and
the father must provide for this child
ID the mean time.
But the married woman has no
right at all to heS child, after the
"tender age" or after the child is
weaned. After that age, "the Gus
tody, control, and earnings of her
child, is the fathers," exclusively.
Now, we mothers do want half
right to our children, even if we do
have them while in the marriage re-
lation. We are especially anxious
! to establish partnership relation
on this basis, for our children are
dearer to us than even our property
nights, which, by the way, by the
! passage of Mr.. Whites bill on the
property rights of married women
you have the best and most equita-
bic law on this subject of the proper
ty rights of married women of any
State know of in this country.
Yes, we mothers do want to be
able to say, "our Children" and
not your children, as my husband
used to instruct me to understand
they were, by his often saying, viz:
now wife, these six children are
not our children, they are my child
rem, but let you take care OF them
for am so good and kind to you.
But you have no legal right to them
any moro than any other woman in
the United States. can take them
from you, at my option, and give
them to any one please and you
can have no'chance to get one but
by a divorce! for they are all my
own exclusively
) So that, under your present laws
/ the only way the holy right of mater
, nifty can be legally protected to tho
) mother is, to have her children
arHI,om being married! For the sin
, gle woman has her right of maternity
: protected to her, while the married
= woman has not, because this right
5 of maternity, like all her othel
Y rights, is suspended during cover
ture.
: Now, Gentlemen Legislators, 20,
J need not be told that such laws a
f; these are a premium on infdelity
t and, as such, demand immediat
, determination from the statute book
3 of the Territory of Washington, o
= you have done Ly your prompt ant
: unanimous support of my bill. Sucl
: a stain on the pure women of thi
: Territory you have now cancelled.
y And happy ought you TO be tba
y this bill does meet this shameful
emergency, by first restoring to tn
: married women her lost or suspend