The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-23
COMMUNITY PROPERTY.

The Walla Walla Statesman is desir-
Gus Of having the common law Of
England re-enaeted in Washington
Territory in regard 10 the descent Of
real and personal property. We cannot
see that the fact Of its being the "Jus-
tinian code" j. any argument in favor
Of lis adoption, nor the fact that ed
ward, the confessor, King OF England" !"
made it the common law Of England,
has anything 10 do with the subject.
The Statesman discusses the subject
dispassionately, aud therefore We are
surprised that II does not see the point
involved in the community property
law in Washington Territory. The
Legislature that passed the law had in
mind the fact that both men aud wom-
en- are individuals, aud that sex has
nothing whatever TO DO with the
amount Of property a person may in
herit, acquire or possess. The women
would not object TO the enactment Of
the common law Of England II IL ap-
piled To the husband and to the wife
alike But il would not. On the death
Of the wife, IL would leave all the prop
erty in the hands Of the husband. II
he should desire 10 squander it, her
children can be left penuiless. The
"widowers are in many cases the prey
of adventuresses, and il is notorious
that more men waste fortunes on bad
women than women do on bad men.
90 the death Of the husband, the wife
would have portion of the property
aud County Court to supervise her
trans actions. We grant that upon mar
risge husbands have control Of the
wifg's property; but this is wrong and
is not sanctioned by women-it is law
made 10y men in their own interests. a
husband should no more be entitled to
manage a wife's property than she
should be permitted TO manage his.
The strong point which the Statesman
endeavors to make against the present
law is that stepmotbers will not deal
justly with stepchildren. The journal
does not fear that stepfathers will act in
the same manner. II stepparents can
not be trusted, we would advocate the
passage Of laws applicable to their
cases, aud not make all mothers subject
10 the disabilities Of few stepmothers,
while fathers and stepfathers are treated
alike. The Statesman will not discuss
the community property question from
an impartial standpoint.
"If a wife has been, " hat all Of them
are not, true wife to her husband, he
will do what is right by her aud =
great deal more. Why not trust the
husband as well as her >" ia husband
has been, what very, very many OF
them are not, true husband to his wife,
she will do what is right by him aud a
great deal more. Why not trust the
wife as well as him2
We refer the author OF tue untentle-
manly fling at "mascuhne females" to
an article Oh the outside Of this paper,
Sentence before Trial" We trust
that he can see that be has treated
Woman Sufiragists unfairly.
In conclusion our brother says ::
with these views We leave The adjust
ment Of this question with the assem-
BLEED wisdom OF the Territory now in
session at Olympia" We are truly
glad our brother has decided not to per
sonally put ia force in Washington the
law he admires so much. 1t is an
outbust Of generosity entirely unex-
pected from the first portion Of the
article.
We feel assured that the present Leg
islature Of Washington Territory will
not allow the present fair law in regard
to community property TO be repealed,
though 1t may possibly take some
action in regard to the rights Of step
children. II it does, we trust il will
apply TO stepfLthers aud stepmothers
alike.