The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-05-30
BY RUBY NJ. zAHN.

WAS iO HOlcNOItu1 nap
pening during the recent convention.
held under the auspices OF the Nation
al Congress OF Mothers than the ad-
dress or William Hard. lawyer. For
several months past Mr. Hard has,
with the assistance OF lawyers and the
cooperation OF various organizations
OF women, been carrying on an investi-
cation in connection with the legal
status of women. Results OF this in
vestigation, reported for some months
past in The Delineator have electrified
thousand OF women. A sentiment In
favor or campaign 10 secure better
laws has become so pronounced that a
home league has been formed, the OBJ
Ject OF which Is TO bring laws regard
ing women up to the standards OF the
present day. 1t is not possible here to
even outline the speech made by Mr.
Hard, but this league gives TO all wo-
men chance TO assist In direct cam.
paign TO obtain justice for the mothers
OF the nation.
American men have won an enviable
reputation for their fairness to women
That Is one reason why change In laws
regarding women do not come about
more rapidly. Some one has said and
truly, That II the bad men in this
country knew their marital rights and
awaited themselves of them for one
month one year would see the legal
status of women revolutionized" The
majority of women do not even know
that the law discriminates against
them. Why, then it may be asked,
stir up agitation about woman's rights =?
A couple OF instances out of dozens OF
daily occurrences, will answer this
question.
In Massachusetts, after a Cougar
struggle by the women-principally
the suffragists--to change the law by
which a mother had no legal right to
her own children, tragedy so horri-
BILE occurred that public sentiment rose
to fever heat and demanded the
change by which mothers in Massa-
chusetts became so-guardians OF their
own children. The father of the chill
dren in this tragedy was a drunken
loafer and availed himself of the
privilege the law accorded him of Civ
ing away his children TO persons will
ing TO adopt them, and arranged to
send his wife and baby TO the poor
house. The woman was well thought
I OF, industrious and a good mother.
| The courts would not have sus-
tanned the man In his action,
but the poor woman did not know
this. In her despair, crazed with grief,
the mother took an axe and killed her
children, then tried to kill herself This
wretched creature still lives, hopelessly
insane, but her awful deed and her
awful fate gave Massachusetts an
equal guardian law.
There are 26 states In the union with
practically the same law, excluding
the mother from any legal control or
ownership OF her children. Are such
tragedies necessary to arouse the men
and women of these states to the in
justices melted to the mothers? Mich
igan looms large in this list, and yet
We hear women, ignorant OF the facts
who say, I'VE have all the rights we
want" Again, right in the state of
Michigan case occurred a year ago,
OF woman, a farmers wife. who
moved to Detroit that she might Sc
cure work In factory for herself and
older children. 1t was hard life, try
I ing to make a living, but the woman
was brave and the children helpful.
But sad day came when the oldest
boy was hurt fatally in the factory.
The mother sued for damages, but the
courts decided against her. Why? Be-
cause mother according to the law Of
this state has no right to the services
or earnings OF her minor children
The father, in Michigan is the legal
owner OF the children, controlling their
earnings, and may appoint guardian
for them at his death-excluding the
mother.
Law as recorded on the statute books
may be said to represent public opin-
lon. But public opinion changes from
time to time Hence the need OF
amending the laws.
When the English common law
which Is the basis Of all law-became
operative social conditions were vastly
different from those of today. The
strong arm OF force was the potent
force In the government The feudal
system obtained, and mems lives and
property were safe only insofar as
they could protect them In that day
OF safety-through muscular and mill
tary force, woman was necessarily
mans subordinate, and so II came
about that in law. she had few, almost
no rights. Times have changed even
since the day when Blackstone. tho
great English authority on law, $50
years ago said, "A mother az such, is
entitled to no power, but only to rever-
ence and respect" To twentieth CEN
fury women such an opinion is out
rageous, and yet 1t is crystallzed in
the laws which are still operative in
two-thirds of the states OF this nation.
Evidently there Is need of change.
The woman who hears the unborn
child beneath her heart for long
months, who goes down into the valley
of the shadow OF death to bring It
into the world, who consecrates her
life to its service, should have equal
rights in the child with its father.
Equal privilege is all that is being
asked for.
Preachers and publlcists who urge
upon women the duties OF wifehood
and motherhood have a splendid OPP
portunity open TO them now II is
their privilege to lend themselves TO
this campaign for laws which will pro-
tect the wife In her property and tho
mother In her children. In what better
way can they do this than in assisting