Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-02
WOMEN OF KENTUCKY
Find the Proposed Constitution Based
On Ideas of the Dark Ages.
NO RIGHTS BY ITS PROVISIONS.
The Boasted Chivslry Of the South Is q
National Disgrace.
SHEER BRUTALITY TOWARD THE SEX
WRITTEN FOB THE DrspAroH.J

distinguished statesman OF Oreat Britain,
in his remarks upon law reforms, said that
the old common law of that country in rela-
ton to women 'twas the opprobrium of the
age and Christianity" Theforce of that re-
mark is still emphasized in Pennsylvania,
though much has been done in the removal
of some Of the most offensive features of the
unjust laws which relate to the property
and personal rights of half of the citizens OF
this State.
It remains, however, for the Legislators
and men of Kentucky, who boast themselves
upon their chivalry and courage, to parade
themselves as the advocates of the civiliza-
tion of the dark ages. A new Constitution,
It appears, is now under consideration in
that State, famous for whisky and horses
and blue grass bellies. A vote upon this new
Constitution is to be taken at the fall cleo
tion, and as elections all go one way in Ken
lucky, it is likely to be adopted. OF this
Mrs. Josephine Henry says in q recent
paper: 1.-THE new Constitution is the tomb
of justice for Kentucky women. There is
not word or syllable in it that gives the
slightest recognition of woman as q compo-
nent part Of our civilization, or protects the
persons, lives, liberty, property or maternal
rights of the women Of Kentucky"
A MOTHERS RIGHT TO HER CHILDREN.
Under the new Constitution, as projected
by Kentucky reformers, q married woman
has 10 right whatever to her children. Her
husband can will them away from her, even
before they are born, even if he is not him
self of age. Contemplate such a law in
these boasted days of civilization! Ken
tuckians should be ashamed of it, but, far
from that, they actually propose its contin-
uance in the new Constitution now before
the people. To thus trample upon and
outrage the strongest affection of a mother s
heart is so barbarous and tyrannical that it
can hardly be conceived that Americans
would be guilty of such a thing in these
nineteenth century days
Knowing this to be true, as everybody
does, yet this proposed constitution gives
her children, to take from them their best
friend at the option of the father, who may
or may not be rascal Nobody but re-
vengeful brute or q cowardly ruffan would
do such thing, save in very exceptional
cases; is law to be made for such as these?
In some of the States this cruel pro-
vision has been repealed. The claim
of mother has been recognized as
equal with that of the father, and
where dispute arises, the case is decided
by the courts in favor of the parent shown
to be most capable and trustworthy, as re-
CARDS the best interests of the child. But
while Kentuckians boast of their devotion
to women, they have no scruples, it would
appear, in trampling upon her most sacred
rights.
A wIFE'S PROPERTY RIGHTS.
Another beautiful feature of this new
Constitution is that-unless by settlements
a woman's property is secured to her at the
time of marriage-the law confscates it,
and hands it over to her husband. He holds
her farm, and houses, and stocks as his own.
Her personal property becomes all his, and
if she has money in bank, his creditors can
attack it the minute the words are said that
make them husband and wife. Women
being ignorant of law, and usually full of
love and romantic sentiment at such time,
do not awaken to the fact that they have
been robbed and despoiled by the law, until
the rub comes. When the proud Kentucky
bride took pleasure in showing her trust in
her husband by refusing to demand that her
Property should be secured to her husband
by refusing to demand that her property
should be secured to her own use, she little
dreamed of the day to come, when she had
no claim on single cent, and was sworn at
when she dared ask for dollarl What q
fool she was, she realized too late for her
own happiness and comfort.
Under this new constitutf.a is another
provision for the rights of husbands, which
is that if married woman earns money by
her own labor, and buys with it furniture,
food or clothing, these belong to her hus-
band, and he can sell them, or pawn them,
or do as he pleases, and the law protects
him in such right-or rather wrong.
AN INSTANCE OF KENTUCKY CHIVALEY.
The story is told, as illustrating this
beautiful law, that q wife worked for three
months at sewing to earn the money to buy
COW to furnish food for her children. The
husband then traded the COW for gun and
some whisky, and the COW was taken away
With all her pleadings, the only concession
she was allowed was to milk the COW for the
children s supper before it was driven off
Southern chivalry is a fine thing to be sure.
But some one will be found to say that
this man was "poor white" and not q
gentleman. But, take notice all, that it is
"Southern chivalry" that has made such
laws, and which proposes to perpetuate
them.
Another chivalric provision In this new
Kentucky Constitution is that the age of
consent for girl to her own ruin is fixed at
IL years. She is under guardianship as to
marriage until she is 18. A sale of her
property is not valid until she is of full
age, but in order to protect rascals the legal
age at which child can ruin her life and
sell her soul is IL years. Such law in the
interests of cruelty and vice is enough to
make the stones cry out against it.
DIVORCE Is FOR MEN ONLY.
AS to marriage and divorce, the laws are
laid down by men alone. The women, as
to these institutions, have no more voice or
than if they had no concern
therein. The husbands are protected, while
the wives suffer.
The sense of Justice of these Kentucky
gentlemen is further shown by the proyis-
ion that if wife has property in her own
right and has had living child, that on her
death the husband takes the whole of it in
whatever shape or form. No relative of
hers is entitled to a cent. If, on the other
hand, the husband dies. the wife is to re-
ceive only one-third life interest, even
though she may largely have helped to ac-
cumulate it. These are some of the mani
festations of Southern chivalry and Ken
lucky devotion to the interest of wives
and mothers
Now, if these were shown up as the
even abuses of the old common law, which
Blackstone denounced as its.worst features,
with the object of repeating them, it would
be bad enough to think that such injustice
had existed until now, but when such pro-
visions are features of the proposed new
Constitution, it shows how far Kentucky is
behind the age, and how chivalrous its law
givers are. If Kentucky women are too
Blind, or too ignorant to raise rumpus
over such q Constitution, it is very plain
that'they are in worse need of missionary
effort than the heather or the Indians: If