Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-12-19
A WOMAN SUFFRAGE cATEcHIsM.
BY LUCY STONE.

BY LUCY STONE.
Ladies, don't read this twill make
you feel 80 bad.
At the woman suffrage hearing before
the Committee Of the Massachusetts
Legislature, on the 18th of February,
1885, Lucy Stone presented the follow.
ing statement, with questions and ans
wors which illustrate some phases of
the movement for the equal legal and
political rights of women that are not
as visible as they will be hereafter:
Gentlemen Of the Committee We
have come up to this room for many
years, vainly asking for equal rights
with yourselves. We have quoted the
great principles On which our Govern
ment is basel; the Declaration of indie
pendence and the Bill of Rights. We
have found that those principles are
not respected in their application to
women. We have answered over and
over all objections that have ever been
offered against the ballot for woman.
We have quoted the successful working
of woman suffrage wherever it has been
tried, in England, Scotland, Ontario,
Nova Scotia, and in our Western Terri
tories. without avail. I propose now,
to show the historic record the Massa-
chusetts Legislature has made for itself,
on this question, by the following CUES.
tons and answers:
Question-Shall the men and women
who are to obey the laws have q right
to make themp
Answer-No. Only the men shall
have that right.
Q-But there must be laws that especs
tally concern women. Who shall make
those lawsp
A-Only men shall make them.
Q-May not mothers help make the
laws that settle their legal relation to
their children
A-They shall not. The men shall
have the sole right to make such laws.
Q-May not married women help
make the laws that decide what share
of the property acquired by a husband
and wife during marriage shall belong
to the wife?
A-They shall not.
Q-May not a married woman help
make the laws that decide how much
of her property acquired before her
marriage shall belong to her husband
after her deathp
A-No. The men shall decide 1t.
Q-Who shall make the laws that de-
eide how much Of the property of the
husband shall 60 to the wifep
A-The men shall make them.
Q-Who shall make the laws that de.
eide how, and how much, a wife may
will of her own propertyp
AhO uAOhs
Q-Who shall make the laws that de.
eide the rights Of married partners in
case of marriage, divorce and alimonyp
A-The men.
Q-By the laws the men have made,
do the father and mother have an equal
legal right to their childrenp
A-No. The right of the father is
supreme so long as he lives with his
wife.
Q-What share shall a husband have
in the real estate of his wifep
Ale shall have the use of the whole
Of 1t as long as he lives, If his wife has
ever had a living child.
Q-What is his right to that property
calledp
A-"The estate by the courtesy"
Q-What share shall a wife have in
the real estate of her husbandp
A-She shall have the use Of one
third after her husbands death.
Q-What is the right of that property
calledp
Alt is commonly called "the wild
ow's incumbrance ""dower," or vivid.
ows' thirds"
elf the wife die before her husband,
what share of the property earned by
herself and by her husband jointly dur
ing their marriage may she have to will
to her children, or to anybody
A-Not a cents worth.
Q-Who made the lawp
A-The men.
Q-Do married women now own their
own clothesp
A-They do.
Q-How long did it take to secure
that rightp
A-Three years.
Q-May a widow now be buried in
the family lotp
A-She may.
Q-How long did it take to secure
that rightp
A-Ten years.
Q-Shall the men and women who
pay taxes have a right to say how much
they shall pay, who shall spend the
money. and how 1t shall be spentp
A-No. Only the men shall have
that right.
Q-Shall all soldiers and sailors hon.
orably discharged from service have q
right to vote, whether they are paupers
or not, or whether they have paid a
poll tax or notp
A-They shall.