The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-02
. LAWS FOR WOMEN.


A Review OF What Was Done by the
Legislature Two Years Ago.
Editor IVomdn'S Column, Morning Call:
Every Legislature makes some changes in
the code, and Mrs. Mary E. Garbutt, Tenn
perance Temple, Los Angeles, has done
woman service by publishing five-cent
pamphlet giving the present status of
woman i'll California, also the State has pub
lished the statutes and amendments to the
California Code for 1889, which can be OBJ
tanned of friendly lawyers. and every woman
should know what they are. OF some three
hundred laws passed, abodt half are for
money appropriations. There seems to have
been def iencieS" in everybody's salary,
from janitors up to our political grandees
who boss mat ters There were other i'm
portant appropriations, $500 for the print
ing and engrossing OF Pure California Wine
Labels" $500 for portrait of Washington
Bartlett, and some $50 for the printing of
funeral notices, for the poor man was ac-
corded a second funeral, year after his de-
mise, and the State paid a round sum for it.
The feeble-minded received much attention
and money apprO piatious. there was fell
low-feeling there. The insane We're not for
gotten, even an insane asylum was estab-
lished at San Quentin.
THE LEGlSLAfORS INTEREST
In these un(Urtunates is beautiful. With
one hand they authorize institutions to
manufacture such; with the other hand
out freely the peoples money to care for
them and TO pay for party services. There
were acts and appropriations TO protect from
scale bugs, contagious diseases among sheep
and human beings, and $1,000 was apDro-
prlated to he Fish COmmiSS toner's for the i'm
portatiouS of game such US pheasants, with
penalties DIRE for these who destroyed or de-
moralized such importatioAs; and said
favored Commissioners Were authorized to
sell steamer IN their possession, bought
by appropriations, OF course, and TO puy
two launches. Strict laws were made to
protect blue cranes, and the eggs of both
Glue ana white cranes, AMI cuIprits who
break these laws are subject 10 q tue of not
less than $50 nor more than $40, or to i'm
prls"nment OF from fifty 10 one hundred
days; and joint resolution of Senate and
Assembly commended in a Whereas the.
patriotic struggle of san Francisco mechan-
les to protect the State and country against
the avarlce Of certain Works. and resolved,
that III their contest, they are entitled to
THE MORAL SUPPORT
OF all patriotic citizens. We cannot see
what effect the resolution had upon the
works, but we do hope the mechanics were
enriched by the moral support" OF our
last Legislature. Very few of the appfo-
pTiatious were TO women; one to paw Mr..
New Orleans Exposition; one for the widow
and orphans Of some public official; one for
Home for Soldiers Widows and Army
Nurses; that is about all. OF the millions
appropriated, not 1.-THE went to women.
A lew improvements in the laws pertaining
10 women were made. Hitherto the earnings
OF both husband and wife after marriage
nave been community property no mat
ter IN whose name, AID under the sole |
disposition of the husband, the same as his
81 ma pctofh - A home m mil 70
except by her husband. was not hers unless |
she could prove it separate property A |
husband could sell or mortgage such property |
without the wife's knowledge. The last |
Legi slature, however. amended Section 164 |
OF CIVIL Code 10 the adyant sc of "ad- |
iunets." 1t reads: Whenever any prop |
erty IS conveyed to a married woman by an !
instrument in writing, the presumption is |
that the title is thereby vested in her as her |
separate property" This is great boon to |
women. who hitherto nave been unable
TO CONTROL SUCH PROPERTY,
Unless proved to be separate. Also an |
act 10 prevent the sale of intoxicating /
liquor to persons addicted TO their inordi- |
nate use" Page 352 OF Statutes of 1889 |
says: Imprisonment not over six months,
the penalties for selling Intoxicating
liquor TO persons addicted 10 the inuruidate
use" thereof, after notice has been given IN
writing to the seller by an adult member"
OF said drunkard's family" by an
adult relative" With our present constitu-
eney such a law will not be enforced.
Women cannot enforce law; voters, at pres
ent, will not, but the law recognizes the
right of the women OF such Il family 10 re-
mOnstraie, and good law, even if not en-
forced. lifts the common standard In the
interests OF justice, Section 26S, Penal Code,
was amended So that there is pen
ally for betrayal. This law before amended,
and Section 266 quite encouraged II, but
now betrayal under promise Of marriage is
a crime under very light ban. The PEN
atty is State Prison not over i've years. or
by fine of not more than 5000, or both.
The friendleSs girl, whose character any
villain may swear way, the specked and
the maigned, have now no shadow of pre-
lection, and as the damages for betrayal
rest in the
DISCRETION OF THE JURY
Tempered by the mercy of Judge, who has
nothing to fear from the wrath of ballotlesS 1
women, but any kind of law proves that
legislative slumber on moral questions is
being disturbed. Also a law was passed
raising the "Hge of protection" from ten to
fourteen years-some gain. Let us. appre-
ciate the crumbs, but this slight gain was
the result OF much hard work accompanied
by demand for something substantial.
Petitions with thousands of names were
sent in to secure police matronS so much
needed in cities, for school suffrage, for
municipal suffrage, for raising the ''age of
prOIecllOn 10 eighteen, women ana men
too worked hard for those bills. but not one
of them was passed, though there were
COED men there who did what they could
AS a sop TO Cerberus" these other bills
W ere passed, only one presented by women,
''the age Of protection" and that aga was
lowered from Gig hteen to fourteen. and in
the bills passed there are SO many prOvisos
that the sinner is much safer than his
victim. Tie tide is rising however, and
women should show whether they care for
good things, by using their influence for
good laws. S.
GflT0y, Dec. 1890.
HEARTFELT GREETING.