The morning call., 1891-09-04
CALIFORNIA LEGIsLA TIoN.
Some of the Laws That Affect the Rights
of Women in This State.

some OF the LAWS InaJ a ueCJ the h1RnIS
of Women in This State.
Editor Woman's Column. Morning Call:
One little grain of justice is granted to wo-
men in the Penal Code, parts of which re-
lating to women are as heathenish as the
people FROM which the common law was in
part derived. Men make laws for them
selves and for the twentieth century; but
when wOman'S rights are concerned we are
tangled in knots tied by the Justinian Code,
by Vulpian, by Papinian, great jurists in
their day, perhaps even radicals, as great
men usually are; but not the authority
which men choose now for themselves
Very gradually, however, the tangle is
Strengthening and the Legislature which
closed its labors this year loosened one kink.
SIT is felony for husband to place a wife
in house of ill-repute" "The wife's word
will be taken in testimony" These amend
ments are terrible commentary on what is
and what has been. Marriage makes the
person of woman her husbands; her earn
ings are his. the hands, feet, brain and the
proceeds of the body belong to the husband;
he can fix the location and kind of work;
his marital rights" leave her little personal
liberty. If she works at home she can claim
nothing but "board, clothes and medicine"
THE SAME AS SLAVES
Ii she works abroad and her employer re-
fuses to pay the husband must be joined
with her in the suit and when the earnings
are collected they are Community prop
erty," under the disposal of the husband.
the same as his separate estate" Then
woman was not allowed to testify against
her husband, SO with her body his and her
tongue tied, he could work his will. This
amendment is an entering wedge-a first
stcp toward making married women owners
of their own persons. Miss McFlimsey and
Mrs. Grundy Shudder at the thought but In
all happy homes the husband ignores the
power which the law gives him, and where
the spirit OF the law prevails woman is too
cOwed. too wretched, 10 complain, while
custom imposes silence, which is the protec-
ton of evil. Good men have for years
urged women to interest themselves in law.
Men such as Judges Bowditch and Sewall
have again and again made abstracts of
laws concerning women and urged that
women help men who would be Just by agi-
tatng. Able women have stated the result
to thankleSs world, and worIan owes no
debt to the world more imperative than to
investigate the legal status of woman, and
she whose life is guarded from the evils by
good men is the one who
MUST FIGHT THE BATTLES
For the wounded on the field of carnage.
Men cannot do much for us if we will not
help ourselves and each other. But says
Mrs. Easy-gOing: :" Men are unbinding us
as fast as is best. There is no use in our
agtatng; all will be given us in time" 1t
should be know, how these gains are made.
Women asked for equal suffrage and for
municipal suffrage; some of tue ableSt men
in the Legislature favored; women sent in
petitions containing nearly 10000 names.
Many memorials from prominent indi-
vidualS and also from organizations, as the
Women's Press Association, were sent;
ladies were there at work; Senators Nc
GOwan and Carpenter made most able
speeches in favor. Never has SO much
open, honest effort been made for anything.
ami when the bill passed the Senate by
good honest majority, Senator McComas,
the Senate, clapped mis- hands and ex-
claimed, THANK God! Thank GOd!
After all this effort of the best. most moral
people of the State and Legislature; after
atiltb4 g9oE EiRqf al Hp5s gAis," i tGut efebG tnes5s
few little mice, the last very scrubby
mouse indeed. Does any woman, OF man
either, believe that if all women should be
as Indifferent as
MRS. GRUNDY AND MISS M'FLIMsEY
We should have had even these mice as tro-
phies? Had 1t not been for the efforts of
the same women the Scientific Temperance
Instruction Bill would have been repealed;
as it is the amendment making so much oil
the instruction oral takes the teeth ont OF II,
rather sets "Beelzebub to cast out BeelZe-
bub." Yet it still makes it possible for
the teachers 10 teach the science OF narcotics
and alcoholics. To the same women are
due our bills forbidding the sale of liquor
and cigarettes to persons under certain
age. Every mother is glad of all those laws;
she knows that they help to lift public
standards if not enforced. and she ought to
know that they never will be enforced until
we have a constituency that wants them
enforced. like our excellent laws forbiddng
gambling and dives, which are almost
dead letter. but which Go make them dis
reputable Now, if Mrs. Easy would rouse
from her apathy and do her part we should
have substantial gains. With the help of
men who urge us to do for ourselves, we
could soon become constituency to re-en-
force our friendly voters and snap the cords
of injustces that now bind women. IRE
mendous efforts would then bring forth pro-
pOrtionate results, and we could decree that
for which we are now plead in vain. S. 5.