The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-25
Intore.tlnE 10 Married women.


Among the bills offered in the Legis-
lature Wednesday was ono by Senator
Scott, ito change the common law Of
marriage to the customs OF modern civil
ization by the emancipation Of married
women in tho State OF West Virginia"
The law proposed by this bill is one
which has already passed tho Legisla.
lures OF several States, and is now pend
ing in Congress, where it is proposed to
apply it to the territories. All this has
been done through the efforts Of one
woman, who has devoted the best years
Of her life TO the work OF cultivating a
sentiment in Its favor. This lady, who
is well known throughout the Union, is
Mrs. L. P. W. Packard, Of Chicago.
Mrs. Packard was in Wheeling recently
and outlined to the INrELLIuENcER the
purposes Of the law to tho adoption Of
which she has devoted lifetime.
The law, as 1t has been adopted in
other States, abrogates the common law
as to tho disabilities 1t imposes upon
married women during coyerture, and
tits effect upon all her natural rights Of
womanhood, and the wife shall retain
the same legal existence and the same
legal personality after marriage as before
marriage; and for any injury sustained
10 her person, property, character, repu-
tation, maternity, or any natural right,
she shall have the same right to appeal,
in her own name alone, to the courts Of
law or equity for redress and protection
that the husband has to appeal in his
own name alone" 1t further provides
that "the rights and responsibilities Of
the married parents to the custody, con-
troll, and earnings Of the children shall
be equal; and in case Of the fathers
death the mother shall come into pos.
session OF the children and the estate,
lust as the father does in the case Of the
mothers death: Provided, that this act
shall not confer upon the wife the right
to vote or hold office, except as Is other.
wise provided by law"
Mrs, Packard, in her argument before
the Judiciary Committee Of tho United
States Senate, urged many strong roa.
sons for the passage Of her bill, and
now that II is before tho West Virginia
Legislature and is Of direct interest to
oyery married couple in West Virginia,
the lNrELLioENcER is constrained to
review the argument
She argued first, that under the COM
mon law q married woman 10 a slave,
made 30 by ''the suspension Of her
rights during coverturO," which Suspen.
sion changes her legal status from a hi.
man being to 4 Chattel, from an Identity
10 d nunentity. Thus tho two become
''onOn In law by the legal humiliation
Of the woman, and retaining the legal
existence Of tho inan--the master and
his slave. The idea isto raise tho status
Of tho woman from a ChattOltoa per
son" in law. Tho wife Is now socially
treated like as tho mistress 10, Just as II
she were a wife, but as tho mistress can
not become a wife until she ID married.,
90 the married woman cannot become
the legal partner Of her husband until
she lie "Umanclpated."
Under the present laws ID mauy Of
the States q married woman can enter
into business partnership, with her sep
afaLS property, With any other man t1'
OVpt her husband and the husband can
do 20 with any woman except bis wife,
why should not the husband and wife