The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-17

fiicted-' Chief Justice Pearson who
repeated this common law doctrine
IN State vs. Black 50 \. (. 2ea gave -
Z reason that IL was the duty OF the
husband 10 make the wife behave
nerself, and If husbands could not
thrash their wives they would be
come lnsubordinate." In 1sss i,
state vs. Rhodes 81 y. c. 455 Judge
fteade, speaking also for a unanf-
nous court having become evidently
a little ashamed Of the doctrine said
they would not hold that a man had
the right to whip his wife with such
a switch but that If he did so the
courts would not take notice Of il be
cause IL was not n matter Of suffi-
clent public Importance. This was
adding insult to injury a-d the rea-
son given was worse than the bald as
sef'lon or the right. 1t was only Al
years ago in 1874 that Judge Settle
IN State vs. Oliver 70 \. G.. so wrote
an opinion o~verruling the doctrine by
saying tersely. we have advanced
from that barbarism."
Ever since then, however, there
nave been many legal determinations
against women in the courts. For in
stance it was held until recently that
a man could SANDER his own wife at
Will; and in a case from Charlotte it
was held that if a woman was run
over by an engine, that compensation
Tor the loss OF her time and for her
mental and physical anguish in the
loss of a limb was the sole
Of her husband, and tina she could
not maintain an action to recover
such damages, which all belonged to
her husband. 1t was also held that
the ownership Of realty might make
a man a "freeholder' that the same
ownership on the part of women die
not make them freeholders, within
the meaning Of statutes which re
quired the assent of freeholders be
fore the levy Of special taxes on then
lands.
Constitutional Provision.
There are other matters, which
need not be gone into but sufficien-
discrimination TO justify the womeI
in desiring the right of suffrage thu
they may enforce the passage of jus
laws in their own behalf. :
Let US look at your constitutions
provision in regard to suffrage. 1
c~onfers suffrage upon all adults will
! the exception of four classes. They
: are:
' CD. Idiots and lunatics because
they are mental detectives.
| CD. Convicts-because they arr
] moral detectives.
| 90. Illiterates (provided thei
grandfathers could not vote) be
cause they are considered incompe
tent, and
I ca. Women.
Why should the mothers, TIL
: daughters, the wives and sisters o
L the white voters Of North Carolina b
II thus grouped with idiots. lunatics
convicts and negroes? They are no
T moral detectives, for we all know
from the records of our courts, Jail
n and penitentiaries that there are 3
men tried for criminal offenses 70
r every woman. Are they mental de
~fectives? The answer to the move
ment to confer the right OF suffrag
upon women depends upon the rea
opinion of the majority of men upo
y that single question, whether WOme
l. are competent to vote in%telligently.
n We know Of course that this is tn
true issue and hat the opponents c
y equal suffrage have shirked a squar
q statement of their views. Many haV
resorted to the eVaEion of eXaggerat
lie ed compliment and talked of "plac
t. ing women upon a pedestal" An
a have bestowed many other enpt,
IL flowery compliments. ALI know tn
t. ~inSincerity of such expressions VINE
TO denying women their equal rights &
II tax payers and as human beings.
E Then there are those who have re
re sorted to another form of evasion b
1T using ridicule and Imagining awkwar
is situations where men would nurse TT
III children and perform househol
Id duties While the women we're doir
If the voting. This has become lie:
popular as newspaper editors hay
Ell seen that it did not &c their CT
l. culatiOn. =
II. A Frank Admission.
OF In my own experience \ do not r
member but one man who frank
and squarely stated his position.
a. was up in Caswell county where
- loafer at a country store, Whittli1
n a dry goods box said, "Weemen air
nv fifteen to vote. They isn't got al
ed sense. know EN-" l respected II
man for his candor, which other O.
lrl ponents do not show. If he is co
r rect, he has stated the only argume
of against suffrage. But when he sd
er that "Weemen isn't got ally sense"
A reminds me Of the Wake county ma
re who went to a circus n Raleigh t
OF other day. It was the first time
on had ever been to one and he look
- with rnrnd-eya6 wonder ar the el