The Washington herald., 1912-10-17
LAWS or OHIO Arb
UNJUST TO WOMAN

She shares Responsibilities, but
Law Gives Her 10 Reward.
~ PRANCBs SHAFFER.
A letter was passed into my hands
this morning. and II made me think.
1t was an appeal from the '.Aassachu-
sets Association Opposed TO the Fur
thsr Extension Of Suffrage to Women" I"
and It asked for Newspaper space to give
publicity to the remonstrsnce Of wom-
en- who do not want the ballot because
''they feel Il would be an injury both
to their sex and to society"
Il says that the defeat Of the suf-
frage amendemnt In Ohio leads ito
the suggestion that tide has turned in
the suffrage agitation and that 'Ameri-
can men hesitate to thrust the ballot
upon women when the great majority
do not want IT,"
Yea II IS quite true that the voters
in Ohio did defeat the amendment to
the constitution which would include
women In the electorate, but II one takes
the trouble to look at Ohio and its laws
one ID minded to say that something IL
needed there to start things going In .
true line. something that has not yet
como to pass.
wsRan Needed for the Place.
Awhile ago II was deemed well to have
Q woman superintendent OF the Girls In
dustrial Institute In that State. and .
law was passed granting the permission.
But when they came to examine tho
question II was found that the new law
vas in conflict with the constitution and
AAr10SNna NJ the 9nlnPRrNA
Court For. you see. the constitution
declares that none but electors shall be
appointed to any oiiice In the State.
That 10 a reform school for girls. re-
member, and surely II 10 eminently Mt
ting to have . woman superintendent
there, fitting. too. to have q board OF
workhouse directors composed OF wom-
en- for the woman department-but the
constitution says no. and that must
end II.
Women do not want the ballot" they
say, but when you read that the law
cannot permit q woman to be supertn-
tendent Of an institution for girls alone,
because she is also not permitted to be q
voter, the thought must be driven home
that women need the ballot. In State
institutions where men and women. boys
and girls alike. are to be looked after
and their interests safeguarded, 1t Is the
Of control. But when the constitution
says that only electors can be chosen
for such posts. what then?
Father Inherits Property.
In Ohio It is the father who inherits
property of deceased children. The
mother is not recognized unless the
father is dead. And II the children are
wage-earners, the law provides that the
mother shall have no share in their
earnings. provided the father is living.
He comes first. In the matter Of guar
dianship. the father is supreme, and he
legally controls the choice of church,
school. clothing. and work. He may be
very good or a very bad father. but
the law apparently assumes that his
judgment is unfailing. and that his
rights are supreme.
In Ohio the husband controls the wife's
earnings. and in the eyes of the law she
is held responsible for the support of
the family II the husband Is unable to
meet the obligation. As to the dover
right, that Is shared alike. but as is
quite usual in other States. the law does
not concede the wife's right to any share
in the family income. free from the hus-
bands control. She may work as hard
as he but the surplus does not go in a
wills In life. and when life is over 1t may
go anywhere he chooses. to children. to
colleges, to strangers. all but the dover
right. and the law grants him that no
less than her.
And the husband legally controls the
choice Of a family home. In Ohio. as
else. wives who are loyal and
true follow their husbands to the ends
Of the earth. IL business or other inter-
x.lx H., Ty,,s L.. "a
too Jealous Of the rights Of husbands, and
it might better leave all such matters to
work out as the may and concern itself
first of all with equality.
And the Ohio constitution will not even
permit a woman to be notary public.
because Of the elector qualification again.
Just = Plain Duty.
The vote. they tell US. is neither a
right nor . privilege; it is just plain
duty. But for whom il this duty II not
for the whole peoples? And II it is for
the whole people II Is hard to understand
why there is SO much Of man and woman
in the law, which should cover all. 1t Is
hard to associate the plain need of
women to serve on boards connected
with the blunt fact that women cannot
be admitted in conformity with the con-
They cannot be legislators. yet II is
legislators. qualified electors, who deter
mine the guardianship Of children. and
say whether the father shall be supreme
or whether co-guardianship shall come
with its more wholesome right to moth
ers. And to them is left the determina-
lion of many questions that cannot be
Justly settled until there is no thought
Of man or woman involved. Just the |
human right which should affect all
alike.
Yet women. some women. are pleading |
that the ballot would be "an injury both |
10 their sex and to society"