Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-30
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE WRONGs OF WOMEN.
How the Laws Of England md A n,ersca
DiscrimInate AEainsl Them.
TER story TOLD BIT MRS BLAKE, MRS scsTcHKxD,
LCCY sroSE AND OTHERs-wHAr TIE INDIAN
WOMAN Has Losr-rALKs TO The wOHAss COUNCIL

LCCy sroSE AND oTHERs-wHAr TIE INDIAN
WOMAN Has Losr-rALKs TO TIE woHASs COUNCIL
Last night the wrongs Of women, under the law,
were talked OF az the International council or
Women Either the subject. or the improvement
IN the weather. had the effect OF erowding the
opera House TO It's utmost The ladies on the stage
formed a most interesting picture. Many OF them
were attfred in elegant evening costumes Mrs.
bikes tall and graceful ngure was richly robed.
and her colleague rom England, Mrs Alice Scatch-
erd, who was to speak, wore handsome dress OF
pale blue surah silk A pleasant and interesting
inctient Of the evening was the tribute paid by
MrsL scatcherd 70 Mrs. Dixie. Mrs. Scatcherd is
the first Englishwoman who has spoken at the
council since the publication OF gossip based on a
statement that Miss Helen Taylor, OF England. de-
clined % come to the council because Mrs. pike
was coming, Mrs. Scateherd, OF course did not
refer 20 this matter, but in speaking OF the address
10 De delivered Tomorrow evening by Mrs. Dixie.
she referred 10 that lady, with emphasis, 'One
whom deem IL an honor 10 call my friend" Mrs.
Dixie. she said, represented Newcastle-on-Tyne. a
constituency noted for Its sound liberalism, and
which had been represented In parliament by Mrs.
bikes husband. "Fhey feel honored,- she said,
IN having Mrs DIXIE represent them. She was
an able woman. and the men on the North honor,
and feel hOnOred. 70 have so charming and 50 able
representatives. come over here"
MRS. ELAKE's ADDRESS.
Mrs. Lille Deyereux Blake, OF New York, was
the nrst speaker last evening. She made fore
IDLE address on illegal Disabilities Of Women
Woman was constantly told, she said, that her
place was home. In most or the states OF the
Union. woman had no home. The widow may re-
Insin In her husbands house for forty days
throughout all the country the iron rule OF the
English common-aw stu pressed upon woman.
Blackstone said that woman was a perpetual
minor. The woman was the adjunct OF her hus-
band during life. and his relict after death Even
N states where property rights were secured TO
women. they were deprived OF their dearest right
me right 70 their own children In her own state
81 New York, they had law under which the
N n "A chilli n 4
or n he dies will IL away, WITHOUT the mothers
consent. These things might nOtamount 10 any
hing in happy families but all men were not per-
Iect. In one state woman, who was about 10 be
deprived Of her children, she said. went into court
Ihsy were not her husbands. She spoke also OF
The laws that gave the husband control OF the
Joint earnings and against the laws that excluded
women from jury service, and denied her the right
u trial " JuTy or her peers.
MRS sCATCHKRDls SPEECH
Mrs Alice Scatcherd, the English delegate, next
spoke. She made a most favorable impression.
Her voice Is sweet and well nodulated, and her
language elegant and expressive. Her subject
WAS Legal conditions OF women in the three
kingdOms' She told OF the tnJustieeS which Eng
ltsb women suffered In their Industrial property.
Ins last forty years they had she SAID. seen many
avenues OF industry opened 10 women, out had
seen also what they deplore greatly, and that Was
legislative restriction OF wOmeD5 Labor The men
VI England would not stand such Interference for
a week, for they had votes. All this interference
WAS kOOu iulcubADuss JUL IL us
sened the freedom OF women. The right To
street a wOman's labor implies right TO deny her
right TO labor at all single women In England
uen. There was one law, however, that
affected both married and unmarried. That was
the male relatives got the larger share OF the
estate. II a man died intestate only bali
ssr his s.1 money Went went the hi erow w' tne
wife died intestats all her money went
10 the husband They had the house OF lords 10
"a rflA
W0man's property act. Under the act OF 1882
woman when she marries can keep control OF her
contract with her husband. IL was true even yet
that an English husband can. II he chooses, leave
mis- wife penniless- Before 1856 woman had DO
TiChts In the family whatever. A father might
give or win away his child: he might bring up the
child 70 any religious b lief he wanted. Now a
mother, al the fathers death, became the guar
dian OF her own childr n. In England for nearly
twenty years they had had laws which outraged
HE personal nights OF women: laws which con-
dsmned the women OF seaport towns TO abJcct
slavery. She referred to the contagious diseases
act. This law still prevailed In some OF the de-
pendeacies. The law OF divorce was still grossly
Unequal. A husband had 10 prove only adultery.
The wife, however. 10 prove both adultery and
1otorsty top s1 and dAT w,ieeSing
was only In 1878 that a law was passed which
enabled a magistrate to grant a separation II the
wife said she was In fear OF her life. English
streets were freer for men than for women. She
protested against the injustice OF and the wrongs
done under the law regarding solicitation on the
streeis She echoed with Miss Blake most heartily
the prayer that they should have women on their
Juries.
MISS ALICE FLErcHER,
who was next introduced, made a very interesting
address,. Her subject was Legal Conditions OF
Indian Women To the surprise, perhaps, OF most
of her hearers, the address went to show that in
The matter Of independence and equality the
American Indian woman had greatly suffered by
coming under the operation OF the white mans
law. She said the erroneous popular impressions
concerning Indian women thai their
tribes they were slaves; that they were baTtered
a. wives, and Their lives were without honor or
happiness. The Indian tribe was an organized
body, divided into clans or gems. \ man was born
into his Clan In large proportion OF the tribes
man belonged 10 the tribe OT Kindred Of his mother
and not OF MS father. Ii Was a general law that
man should not marry into his clan. There
are no family names IN an Indian tribe.
never became entirely under the control OF her
husband The women never, from their birth 10
their death, are without the strong protecting
arms of their kindred. TO whom they can appeal
woman ~ free 20 choose her husband The gifts
made by a man 20 his wifes kindred Is not a price
paid for her. The equivalents OF the gifts were
returned Indian women were burden-carriers
because they belonged 10 the Don-combatsnJ class
Al who were not engaged as warriors in an Indian
tribe had To labor. All men were engaged In pro-
tecting. In lighting for all women and children
The woman hence carried the hoe. As a conse-
Gnenee all the property belonged 10 women In
olden times too, they owned The lands. our Gus
Ioans. however, OF ignoring the rights OF women
had had their influence upon these women There
Is no family property. a5 we use the term. The
wife was as independent IN her possessions as any
man among Us. Under the white mans law how
ever. the Indian womanS Olc-tinle Individual
existence has gone.
AN INDIAN PRINCESS
At the close OF Miss Fletcher's address Miss An
tnOny said they had on the stage a genuine In
dian woman, and then she called OUT the princess
BeroQue," two-huadred- pound woman, with
IIwny skin, who was attired In a gaudy red dress
covered with fancy Niagara Falls bead ornaments
The princess, as she styles herself, IA IS been at
tending the council. and has attracted much at
Iention- she wears on the street huge Iur cloak
and a beaver nat. SIZE came forward smiling and
wanted 10 make speech. but Miss Anthony
carDed her. Il am only given a minute" said the
princess. she stood up, feast your eyes on
me whils stand. could say much, but II Is not
necessary. Look at ME and Will take my seat
10 the princess stood up for a minute like the
IattOoed man In the museum and then sat down.
11e family protesting against inlustices done 70
mothers and married women under the law
MISS LrcY STONE
made the closing address. Her speech was a
chatty, interesting recital Of many matters In the
line OF Mrs Blake's remarks. She tOok occasion
10 answer criticisms made based on a statement
that IN Massachusetts, only 5000 out OF 100000
women voted In the school electiOns She deni.d
the correctness o. these figures made up by Secre-
tary Pearce % the report of the figures one
county, worcester County she said In one town
snip the votes were more than the report gave 10
the wEOie county. over flve times as many
women In that county voted than was shown by
Mr.. Pearee's report But she said there was a
reason there why many women did not vote. The
law . shabby law