The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-18
legislative
Worker
For Women

The New York legislature passed It
readily, Governor Odel signed II, and It
is now a statute OF the state.
That illustrates Lille Devereux
Blake's way.
Mrs. Blake travels along through the
world with her eyes open, keenly at
tentive to all that concerns her sex
Events point out TO her the need of the
time. and she goes forward and secures
/ legislation meeting that need. The
number of laws. federal and state. that
have been enacted for the good of wom-
en- either wholly or mainly through her
efforts is surprising. Among United
States laws and rulings she succeeded
in obtaining are the following: Permit
ting women 10 be census enumerators
making them eligible to civil service
appointments. granting pensions 20 war
nurses. When one remembers that
these grants cover the whole land and
that women north. south, east and west
today reap the benefit of them. It can
be seen how well Mrs. Blake has
wrought.
In her own state of New York she has
wrestled with the laws on behalf OF
woman for an even generation. When
we recall how far behind the times New
York state still is on the woman ques-
ton, we may realize what it was when
Mrs. Blake began on it. In 1880 by her
representations before the legislature
she procured for women school suf-
frage in New York and in 1885 helped 10
secure the passage of a law giving them
representation as trustees in all public
institutions where women are placed
Beginning in 1883. II took her four years
to obtain the law that the father and
mother shall be joint guardians Of their
children. Yet other laws were one en-
aiding a woman TO make a viii with
out her husbands consent and one re-
curing seats TO be provided for sales
women. She also began and continued
the agitation for placing women on
boards of education and for the ap
pointment OF police matrons. also for
raising the salaries of women public
school teachers. Others Joined in the
work for these ends as it progressed.
but il was only after twenty years OF
strenuous effort that the measures
We're accomplished. Again. apart from
legislation through Mrs. sBlake's en-
deavor a memorial was erected last
summer 10 the memory OF that gifted
writer and woman's rights woman. the
lamented Margaret Fuller. on the spot
where the ship which brought her 10
her native land was wrecked. of Point
O. Woods. Fire island.
And the next thing TO overhaul IS
the law OF marital Inheritance" sayS
the indomitable Lille Devereux Blake.
Meanwhile to keep her hand IN. as It
were. she has before congress an act TO
enable American women who have mar
ried foreigners TO retain their United
States citizenship and be entitled to the
protection OF their country'S laws.
Mrs Blake was for eleven years pres
ident OF the New York State Woman
Suffrage association. IN 1856 she estab-
iished 10 New York city the Society For
Political STUDY popularity known as the
:. p s. In 1900 she founded the Ma
tional Legislative league. whose object
the, country over is specially 20 obtain
legislation favorable 10 women. Mrs
Blake says Legislative league" does not
sound so scary TO the timid as woman
suffrage association. She is the ma
tioual leagues president Turning
backward the book OF Lille Devereuz
Blake's life page by page. 81 f. crowded
with the record OF work helpful 20 her
own sex as scarcely another American
woman's life hook is crowded.
What brought you into il a. nrst7'
I don't know" she answered. Tt
seemed natural Long ago. when was
a child, a lot OF US little girls at school
adopted each what We said was 20 be
her life motto. Oddly enough, mine
was. I viii live 70 redress ;he wrongs
Of my sex. ] didn't know women had
any wrongs then. but there seemed 70
be an instinct in me that women al
ways had the worst Of f."
Soufherners who regard the north. !
particularly New England. as the hot
bsd OF all rroman's Tighfism wiz be sur
rrfsed 10 know that Mrs. Blake is q
native horn soufherner Her birthplace /
IS Raleigh \. G. Her family the Dew
eregx. were people u wealth and ez-
tensive slave owners. she fs q Descend (
ant o. Jonathan Eduarsss and sners 81 +
have inherited Ms iorical brain a-lts-
0sif his Theology. Her father died whFn /
she wzs very Young. and her mother
took Der 20 New Maven. corn- There /
beneath TIE shazaEa q Yale university I
she rassesl her z1glhoot and gbtain=1 4
frozz fstors - her cun home ere e.1- +.
cation Yale young nen received in the &
college.
On z van II Mr. D.ake's home - f
Nca York citg hangs fte Fc-traat n .
rarely b-ezgflfoi SRI with rrssfks +
fee- ard .asxs. raGiar; hazel gray eser.
Lille FeFereaz Base Sc 81 unesarurcpf- 4
" naussarse. distinguishes locktrE E0-