The San Francisco call., 1906-09-09
NRS. AUSTIN SPERRY

In the marriage service OF the
Episcopal church there is a clause
which today is merely group or
words having no meaning whatever.
It is this: and with all my worldly
goods 1 thee endow.' spoken. Of course.
by the husband. II Captain Martins
idea should be carried into effect there
would at least be more meaning in
those words than heretofore. This
subject viii be brought before the
suffrage societies in convention IN the
fall and 1 shall be interested to see
what action will be taken am IN
clined to take a hopeful view"
Mrs. William Keith said: In the
main I am in accord with Captain
Martin. In the course OF his address
he made many statements that are
incontrovertibIe. He assuredly has the
right feeling with regard to the mar
ried woman in her home and doubtless
his contract. as it will stand when he
has Ii accurately drawn up, will be
of great material benefit to the woman
whose husband would otherwise be In
clined TO humiliate her.
1T seems to me. though. that the
proper way to get at the matter would
be TO direct ones attention directly to
amending the laws OF the State affect
ing woman's right to community prop
erty during her lifetime and at death
her right of disposal And this. OF
course, brings US back to the one aim
OF the Political Equality Society.
which is suffrage for women There
seems to me to be no more probable
means of securing to woman her nat
uraI rights than by gaining for her
a voice in the making of laws
However, it may be possible that II
Cptain Martin is able TO get a hearing
before the Legislature. as he desires.
he may do this much for the wife,
and we who are working vigorously
for the suffrage need ind no cause for
complaint. AS the laws stand today
there would have to be something
stronger than a private contract to
make valid the will of a wife in which
she bequeaths half or any part what
ever Of the community property"
More decided, perhaps. than all the
others In her opposition to Captain
Martins plan is Mrs Frances A Viii
Hanson, president of the county branch
of the Equal Suffrage Association In
the course Of a discussion OF the sub
ject she said:
Contract Discounts Chivalry.
AT present 1 do not view the mat
ter with any semblance OF favor. In
the first place It discounts largely the
ehlvalry Of the American gentleman.
Think of man OF honor being re-
qrested by his prospective bride to
agree in writing to provide adequately
foi her during the time OF their living
tc sether, Suppose we agree that at
present in some instances the situa-
tion is humfliating for the woman. and
that in every instance the situation
would be humiliation for the man.
TO view the matter from another
standpoint: The man is the provider
naturally; although by a written con-
so IN divide nuauiW
with his wife, what is there TO prevent
him from compelling his wife to ask
again and again for the portion which
he once willingly admitted was hdrs'
I admit that there are faults in the old
way, but l prefer them to the many
that would arise with the new.
some women object TO asking their
husbands for money. preferrins 10 have
a specified sum handed to them eacn
month or each week. as the case may
be, with instructions to pay certain
bills. To my mind that would be sufi
GENTLY unpleasant i do not favor the
wife having one-half and the husband
the other half. The two should be one
in reality. with. Identical interests. and
all the money should be spent as il Is
HGst needed by the two together
There should be no division OF inter-
ests nor of properties such as is rec0g-
nized In purely business-like partner
ship
The marriage contract Is not a mere
business project. bit a sacrament and
a thing like whleh there IL nothing
else in the world. Consequently there
should be 10 peeuniary restrictions
connected with or governing il.
such an arrangement would give
the wife equal opportunity with the
hs.sband TO display her selhshness. and
it would be a pity to take his pre-
rosativc away from the latter
The troubles Of married life differ
In each individual case ana. l think.
are quite as often due to the woman
as TO the man. Each sex has its pc
culiar faults. and = wife MAY make her
huSband what she DleaseS-
Other objections were put forward.
anaopg them the one that il at present
the bonds of matrimony grow irksome
the additional bond would not tsnA TO
tmproVe the situation