The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-01
OUR WIVES AND SISTERS
Their Rights to Property, as Now Defined by
the Statutes Of Indiana,
Proposed by Robert Dale Owen i'm the Con-
stitutionaI IConNeution-t;rowth of the
Popular Idea Up tn Owens
Views.


WASHINGTON, June 29.-When i'm the Con-
stitutional Convention of Indiana, Robert
Dale Owen, the most accomplished literary
man, perhaps, who ever contributed to the
political history of the State, advocated the
law prevailing to-day in regard To a wifc's in
tcrest in her husbands property, and her
right To hold a separate fortune. He made
no converts. All his theories were supposed
to be founded upon communism. and there
was much OF hcresy in his ideas OF the mar
riage relation, holding, as he did, that it was
no more than Il civil contract he having be
come husband without the intervention OF
priest or the authority of license.
No legislative body ever deIiberated in In
diuna have thought OF larger talent than
the Constitutional Convention; not. perhaps
in legal ability-for the number ri lawyers
was scarcely sufficient to supply the Judici-
arv Committee with members-but in that
broad-bOttomed common sense that would
quicken the development of a new Common
wealth.
IL i not always best that a majority of law
makers be of the profession of Jurisprudence.
The most enlightened laws, like the one ac-
knowielging the individuality of the Indiana
own property, are really not the work OF
lawyers, but of a class of men whom Edward
Eggleston has named "Back-woods PhiloSu-
pliers" The lawyer has reverence for cnS-
toms gray with ages grown->omething of an
antiquarian in tins respect-and gets down
on his knees 10 fashions 80 old that the mind
of man runncth not IL the contrary. Be
tween that profession and craftsmanship
there j. marked distinction, but the two in
the average mind are frequently confounded.
Mr.. Owen advocated no principle i'm the
matter of cnlarging the sphere of wife and
widow in the management ot her own for
tune that was not coined into a law hy the
Legislature that followed the Constitutional
COnvention-the law ii exists with but
slight modification on the statute books to-
day-Vet he succeeded i'm convincing nobody.
IL was in reply To- this very brilliant scholar
and advanced thinker that Hon William
Holman made the speech of hi> life that at
tracted most attention. Ii was widely copied
and favOrablv commented upon by nearly
the whole. press of the country: vet in less
than two Nears his mind had undergone n
complete change, and he would gladly have
recalled every word He held in that par
ticular discourse that marriage was a sacra-
ment. and the husband. in the sight of Cod
and man. was the head of the family. This
argument carried with it that all of the Wife :
fortune should belong 10 the husband, and
that he alone bc responsible for the manage
ment of the family estate. The two are one
flesh; he the head of the house, and tine law
should be stcl a. to enable them TO follow
the advice uf ST Paul: Let there be no d-
vision among We Rather queer ideas of
homes >ancity prevailed al that time
A man of comparatively no education. with
no views gathered from books. reasoned Mr..
Holman To another belief. Women have
reasoning faculties, and what right have we
to look with favor ir even tolerance on q
custom thai tends io contract her mind
To-day a wife il completely a nonenitv, in
the sigh, of the law. all of her individuality
j. merged in the hu>band-through him she
thinks and has her being. Her sphere i mar
ruwed to the limits of her own family. antl
every condition iS such AZ to retard her
mental growth. Having no incentive Ia
think for herself. she j. dwarfed from the
day of marriaee-limited To- the home circle
and the society nf women, whose advantages
are meagrc a. her OWN. ii a widow. she
has bat Il life interest in whatever real estate
NAV remain. which. sifted down. becomes an
intangible possession. suppose her interest
was in wild land: it there are other children
she cannot even remove the timber without
being liable To suit for committing waste.
She has nothing To sell hut u life interest.
which practically il valueeS>--Or at least of
small value. But remaining wife. there is
50 little in the present system 10 stimulate
thought in woman, that i'm many instances
She is absolutely untitled for the RESPONSE
bili;ies OF motherhood. which carries with il
the duty of developing her children"
Would you make the husband and wife
equal?''
In the possession of property would
make them absolutely equal
Would that not foster disagreement rs to
its management that would prove fatal to
the harmony OF the home circle?'
Not inthe least, but on the contrary il
would conduce To elevation of both husband
and wife. 1t would make the home what all
homes should be--a republic instead of Il
monarchy. BY increasing the intelligence
OF women We benefit mankind. The civiiza-
tion OF a country may be determined by the
condition OF its women. Turkey, when she
i toy, never produced a great man. Where
man is a savage she iS "a beast of burden, and
until she is ncipated-until people is
willing TO admit
First His ham
He tried on man.
And then He made the lassics-
they will always remain such and prima-
tive
How will YOU reconcile your theory with
the command obey
None of the conditions exist to-day that
environed the people 10 whom that command
was given. To enforce wife's obedience is
something foreign To every manly instinct,
and children of good mental and physical
powers are borne Ia no such family. The
Jewish law-giver was born of Il slave mother.
hut that was phenominal-the average son
partakcs of his mothers condition-like her,
he is either chivalrous or seryile. No man
would think OF enforcing obedience from his
afiianced bride
The whole country AT once seemed TO take
Mr. Owens views regarding the rights of
married women TO hold property and control
their own interests.
This article hints at what William Wesley
Woollei. with his resources and habits of
study, might dress into most instructive
chapter showing the growth OF the thought
that enlarged the legal rights OF wife and
widow from condition of abiect depend
ence TO that OF large individual responsible
ity Our great-grandnothers had really no
existence i'm our a,rest-israndfathcrs. If
she committed a crime in the presence of her
husband her husband was the guilty party.
A wife merely increased mans responsible
ity. All the estate or dover she brought to
him as n wife was his and ceased To be hers
save through him. jar TURPES.
Visible supply of Grain.
CHICAGO June 29-The following figures.