The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-28

party on the part Of liquor men,
! The bill passed second and third
| readings with few dissenting votes
most of these coming from the Repup-
! lican quarters.
! Special Order.
Mr. Wards bill allowing women the
right To contract, regulating the rights
of married women came up at z
O'Clock.
| Mr. Coke offered the following
amendment TO Mr.. Wards bill: Reg
ulating the manner in which Il married
woman NAV become a free trader. The
bill provides that Section 1927 of the
ICode be repeaied and the following
/ inserted in its stead: Every married
woman of the age Of twenty-one Years
Tor UPWARDS. may become q free trader
/ in the manner following:
/. by ante-nuptial contract. proved
land registered, as hereinafter required;
> she shall sign a writing i'm the
! following or some equivalent form:
! a. r.. of the age of twenty-one years
! or upwards wife OF &. D.. enters her.
self as Il free trader from the date Of
the negotiation hereof.
The writing may be proved by the
! subscribing witness or acknowledged
by the married woman before any 81
I ficer authorized To take probate OF
tdeotis. and shall be filed and registered
Lin The office of deeds for the county in
(which the woman proposes TO have
her principal or only place of bust
ness.
Mr.. Coke said the argument against
The bill II few dIys ago caused him 10
+ draw the amendment. He said a law
/ should be passed allowing Il woman
~ become Il free trader if she wished.
vitbout her husbands consent. He
said the substitute would answer every
purpose of the bill Mr.. Ward proposes.
If she wishes TO engage in any mer-
camille or industrial business she may
do so by simpiy. signing paper in the
register of deeds office. He said he
was i'm favor of any change. as the
burden of any man in selling goods
I is llpon him whether he shall get his
money.
MIR. Stubbs asked Mr.. Ward if, under
this bill, a woman's real estate Woluo
be subject TO a judgment.
Mr. Ward replied it would.
Mr. Mclean said he hoped the wo-
men of the country would have the
same rights in regard to her property
and money as the men. he SAD i
Young girl y years of age has per
feet right TO manage her afialrS uftl
she becomes married. and then, be
hold, she loses ner competence. de-
Il snite The added wisdom of years AND
exparience He said the argument
had been nronosed that women Were
incapable of managing their aitalrs
but the women of the country are strip-
I ping the men in closest competition /.
: ali lines, and that women are 1oun.
i'm every corner in all lines of business
Mr.. Fleming opposed the bill. HI
said the bill had been characterize
as the characterization Proclamation
for the Women of North Carolina,
and that il had not been proposed 3A
the women. but WAS the most danger
Gus law ever proposed for the Womef
of the State and would do them ire
parable in jury. He declared the pres
ant law protects the married women
) and is a safeguard for their property
| The Ward bill he said was for th'
protection of the merchants OF Boston
New York and Baltimore. Ill Is not
woman's rights bill. Under the laN
now a husband cannot convey or more
gage his property without MS Wiz
signing. her name for the law give
. her dover rights but the Ward bl'
: endangers the property OF marrle'
women, maxim ii liable for their nus
: bands debts.
hrI roo. he thanked God he was no
: divorced and he opposed the Dlii, IA
!. from the time when women first trlet
i to manage mans affairs she falled
, when woman again tried TO manage
affairs in Socrates time. she 1alled
I and Socrates doubtless was grad ina
f he drank the hemlock; the Wonei
| i'm old English times failed TO manage
j affairs successfully, and now in Nortf
]. Carolina the laws protect women more
) than men, He said n woman ma,
convey all her personal property Win
out the consent of her husband aht
> if q husband were insane q woman
: may convey her husbands properly
l a =.
: q man may not convey an insane Wife
property without her consent "A wo
, man with experience, working by de
: grees may become successful but l
: she without experience invests $40,
| 600 the result is disaster. A man lef
this amount prolitably invests it. Thi
= is the experience of mankind
Mr. Bragaw said the bill was mos
!, serious innovation, and had its pur
pose. the destruction of one of th'
ancient landmarks in the law, anC
he did not know that the conditions il
!, North Carolina demanded this radica
= change. This bin gives the married wo
: men power to do things against the vii
: of their husbands, and ii destructs tn
. unity of marriage relations. and IN
= could not conceive that the gentlemen
: In favor of it had seriously consid
= cred its consequences. 1t is an OBJ
stacle to social, industrial and educa
: tional progress, and no man would sd.
: the present law had impeded this pro
: greSS. The law is created upon tn
!, theory that there, shall be some man
U ager in The family, and To obliterat
discord All the laws of New
: York should not be copied, and he WA
: glad to see that North Carolina ha,
{ better marriage laws than New York
/ He hoped Mr.. Coke would Withdraw
: his amendment, as he regarded it as
distinct concession to the original bill
I MI Mclean asked Mr.. Bragaw j
! he thought Chief Justice Clark wa
!, an authority.
MI Bragaw replied yes.
Mr.. Mclean said he had read let
M Wnnd,r Seeds