The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-10
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.
Legislatures are curious things.
And go off at odd and peculiar tan

Legislatures are curious things.
And go off at odd and peculiar tan
gents.
They never do the things-or at
least rarely-that they are expected to
do.
And do all sorts of extraordinary
ones that seem more or less futile and
anomalous.
The legislature of Indiana meets for
sixty days once every two years.
And there are those who say that
that is just two years too often.
And sixty days too long.
However that may be the one just
about to close has done nothing spec
tally notable.
Unless it is the public utilities bill
far vague.
Legislation for women was given
knock out blows whenever possible.
The amusing ten hour law lacked
up at the last moment and pushed
through with such surprising alacrity
is of no consequence, nor does 1T ma
| terially affect wage earning women
| over the state.
| Most of them work ten hours now.
| So that the especial point of this
wonderful measure is somewhat lost in
obscurity,
! In fact labor received short shrift
by the solons.
The labor compensation bill was
killed for one thing.
And this would, of course, have al
! fected women as we'll as men.
The eight hour law for women, the
nine hour law for women, the WomeI
on school boards law in cities of owe!
10000 where the schools boards were
appointed by the city councils-al
these were lost.
The attempt to get an appropriation
through for the purpose Of distributing
literature over the state on the subjec
of the proper care and rearing of ba
bies was turned down with derisiv'
hilarity.
A measure to further the control o
women in their property was ais
killed.
Women in this state, thanks to tn
labors of Robert Dale Owen, hav'
more liberty in this respect than il
many of the other commonwealth
making up the Union.
And it is to this early champion 0
women's rights that this is due.
This should not be forgotten.
Nor that it was for this purpose tina
Indiana women, few years ago, co
lected a fund for the perpetuation O
, Owens memory through portrai
bust of this great man placed in tn
state-house grounds.
Robert Dale Owen was one of tn
most remarkable men of his day an
far advanced of his time.
He, at that time, recommended won
ans enfranchisement.
And it was only after denunciatio1
ridicule, violent opposition and objul
cation that he succeeded in securin
for them the fair property rights tina
they now enjoy in this state.
This is shown by the shelving of tn
measure in this legislature to furthe
insure a woman the control of her ow
property.
1 ! The legislators of this day are not q
enlightened as some of their confrere
were a half century ago.
While all of these measures affectin
women were killed in the present Sc
sions and variety of others benefici;
, to the state at large turned down, tn
, noble legislators voted-as wittily an
! sarcastically commented upon by
: woman through letter in the Indian
polls Star-twenty-five hundred dollar
for the publication of book made I
;, of their biographies and ornamente
;, with their pictures.
Then they got together and solem
!, 1y passed a record-making law that a
: milk bottles and cans must be cleane
4 by patrons before returned to the
owners, the milkmen.
This, of course, is admittedly GOO
a law.
But its relative importance to tho:
. that were killed is as one hundred
h one.
!, AS animadverted upon otherwise
:. pigs, calves and corporations were gi
, en- the most eminent attention and CO
i sideration.
- But women were thrown contempt
y ously on the garbage heap.
g Let us have done with that deligf
" full little myth that women can ha'
= anything they want in this country.
=, That all they have to do is to a.