The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-12-15
WHAT rs HEB SPHERE
The states Seem to Think That the
Place for Woman is at the
FIresIde.
THE WESTERN STATES FAVOR Her MOST
woman's Rights Not Recognized Except
in a Few States of the West Where
Plenty of Scope is Given to
Them.

| the states west of the AlieghanleS, and al
though there have been a number of cham
pions of wOmaH's rights, and particularly
of female suffrage, in the eastern states,
their efforts appear. so far, to have borne
very little fruit.
From legal standpoint, the women of
the eastern and southern states bear pretty
much the same relation to their lords and
masters 1.-THE mem IS they did under the
old common law of England.
The rights of married woman to prop
erty which is generally recognized as her
separate estate. are protected to-a greater
or less extent in courts of equity all over
! the country.
But the main tendency of recent legisla-
ton made in her behalf in a number of
states, has been to give her rights before
the law equal to those of her husband in
the matter Of acquiring and holding prop
erty and making contracts in relation to
the management and disposition Of it.
In short, the object sought is to make the
modern married woman, as nearly as pos
sible, femme sole in the management of
her estate.
In some few states the legislatures have
even gone further, and besides comforting
upon them the right of suffrage have sought
to make eligible for the highest political
positions.
There have been a few isolated cases of
women running for municipal offices and
of them being elected, but none of them
have as yet secured seats in The state legis-
lature or been allowed to grace the halls of
the national congress as fulI-fedged con-
| gressmen or senators.
In the states of Wyoming and Colorado
female suffrage is firmly established and
women are eligible as voters at all elections
but in the balance of the states where their
suffrage is recognized at all it iSlimited
principally to school matters and smSl1
municipal ffices.
As notarles public, clerks aud assistant
clerks in political bodies and assemblies
! they have obtained wider recognition and
+, the possibilities in this direction in the
near future are beyond conjecture:
| A brief glance at the prevailing laws and
recent changes made in a number of states,
east and west, reveals some interesting
facts.
In New York for the past two years the
women have voted for school commission
ers and been allowed to hold the same of
fee. They may hold property in their own
name.
In Connecticut no law has been passed
relative to the rights of women over prop
erty since 1877. In 1877 law was passed
; allowing them to serve on boards of educa-
ton, school committees, etc.
In Maine women have no rights at all.
At the last session of the legislature the
advocates of female suffrage were given a
hearing before the Judiciary committee, but
accomplished nothing.
In New Hampshire they may hold prop
erty and be appointed notaries public.
| In Massachusetts, a bill is annually in
troduced styled the municipal suffrage
act" and is promptly killed. No laws
have been passed changing their legal
rights in any respect.
In West Virginia, by recent act of the
| legislature, married woman can deal with
her property as if she were femme sole,
except that her husband must join with
her in deed conveying the title to real
estate.
The only noted change in the Ohio law
is that single woman who has been APP
pointed exc, utrix or administrative of an
marriage.
In Michigan and in Florida there have
been no changes, while in Illinois and in
Mississippi laws have been passed of late
years which enable women to act and deal
with their property pretty much as men,
They have no suffrage in either state, but
may become notaries, hold clerkships and
the like.
In Texas and in North Carolina the
homestead rights are protected, but Iheil
general property rights have not been ma
terially changed.
A number of bills have been introduced
in the state legislature of Indiana to en-
large theopreperty rights of women, bu
they have almost invariably been reported
adversely by committeesand- failed to pass
In Montana no laws have been passed
recently affecting the legal status of women
At present, however, they hold all TIL
positions of superintendent of the public
schools and also a majority of the clerk
ships in the legislaturer
Last November Miss Ella Knowles wa
candidate for the position OF attorne.
general on the pOpulist ticket. She raj
away ahead Of her ticket, but still lacke,
some thousands OF FOCOS OF Delng elected
The question of her eligibility for the OF
fee was raised, but never settled. TIL
women of North Dakota have limited SUI
frage, confined principally to school mat
tiers, under the state constitution.
. Under the terms of this constitutions
clause Mrs. Laura j. Eisenhuth is nov
| holding the position Of state superintendent
of public instruction, having been nomina
ted as a candidate for this position an
elected by the populist party at the las
election.
The last legislature passed bill grant
! ing full suffrage to women. It was frs
adopted in the upper house and some day
later in the lower. The latter body, how
ever. after passing the measure, recalled
: fro m the senate and expunged all proceed
ings relative to woman suffrage from tn
records of its journal.
The circumstances surrounding thu ser
5 ate's consent TO return this bill to tn
! house were exciting and sensational in til
. extreme and the enemies of woman SUI
frage only succeeded by forming con
: binati0n with the high license liquor me
who were then andeavo RING f.. secUre ri