New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-21
By Alice Hill (hittendeB.

President Sew York State Association OPP
posed 20 Woman Suffrage.
The women in New York State VINO are
demanding equal rights arr rot very
happy over two measures when have rr-
Gently been introduced into the Legs
lature. The bill introduced by Senator
Herrick. whom the sulfragists have al
WAYS considered a good friend. particular
~. abolishes the right Of dover. and MI
Cuvilners proposed constitutional amend
ment would not only prevent the enact
,nent of any laws which would discrlmi-
nate between the sexes in relation 10 per
sonal. civil OF property rights. brt would
also nullify any such laws existing AT
the PRESENT time.
There can be 20 Ooubt that these EI,as-
ures have been introduced as result Of
tho suffrage agitation. The minority
loader Of the Assembly said Few WEEKS
ago: If equal rights in the true sense
follow equal suffrage, am apprehehsiNe
Of the welfare OF the womanh0od Ci th.s
state" The legal rights, PRIVILEGES ana
jnmunities which women no" ENJOY ia
this state have not been placed on the
statute books by chance, nut are the r.
suit OF the development Of clNIilza'loh'
which seeks To protect and safeguard inc
women who must bear and perpetuate th'
race I'm the early days. when WIG wa
considered the husbands property II was
natural that any property she might pos
GOES at the time OF marriage should be
come his also But this barbara idea OF
marriage does not exist in this country
to-day and men have recognized mar
,ied woman's right to control her own
property. 800.
The laws obliging . man TO support ms
wife and children and TO pay her aiimony
# she secures a divorce from nm are
recognition Of the responsibility Of man
as husband and father. IT, ds result Oh
the clamor for equal rights. man and
woman are to be placed precisely on the
same plane. legally and politically theh
woman suffrage VIII indeed De step
backward and not enc IN advance Wh'ch
&c what the anti-suffragists have always
claimed.
A prominent lawyer in speaking Of tins
point the otner day said: 1T IS perfectly
logical that the equalization OF mans ana
woman's positions should follow Inc eN-
tension of suffrage 10 women. ana ! be
1.-Two that if woman suffrage should pre-
vau all over the country, in less than
decade women would lose their special
privileges and immunties in every stale.
This is TO me" he added, "one OF the most
serious aspects Of this whole question: lo'
II strikes at the foundation roots u our
civilization. which are the protection 81
the woman by the man for the good OF
the lace.
We have only TO turn to the states
abere women have been voting for TWEEN
10 wears or less-Wyoming, Utah, COL
orado and Idaho-to find that the "ife
has no dover and that she is jointly
,esnonsibIc fer the support OF the chill
drep. The homestead may also be sod
and mortgaged without her consent The
census of 1900 shows that in Utah six
men obtained divorces from their wives
on the ground OF non-support.
II Mr.. Cuvillier's amendment should
pass not only would property laws be-
tween man and woman he equalzed IN
New York State. but the laws for the
protection OF the wage-earnins woman