The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-03-19
ed so that the-nethYope is often NOT
more than sufficisptAtd keep up the

ed so that the-net.hyeps is often no
more than sufficisptAtd keep up .ths
perty of the deceased, or is mortgag
premises, thereby being of little OF
no benefit TO the surviving spouse
Now although this law operates
equally upon the widow and the wild
over, it operates against the women
ten to one.
This result of the unequal opera
tion arises from the economic and
social changes constantly going on
and women could well specialize in
anticipating these changes, by enact.
ments to meet sach, changed condi,
tons .. .r .7"ra# ne"c.a e
Subjects for Uniform State Laws
! in which the League of Women Vot
ers may especially interest them
selves are ample for some time te
| come. Some OF these are:
! "One. The general property rights
of married women.--------.:.. - ~ SO. -
Two. The civil rights of married
women. ,7 ,-. ..-,., -. - - ,'.'..
| Three. The custody and care
guardianship of the person of chill
dren.
| -Four. Laws relating to the mar.
! riage and family status involving
marriage and divorces. Tin, South
I Carolina no divorces are granted. In
f., New York. divorces are granted only
for adultry and the offending party
cannot marry. In many, if not most
states. either party may get a divorce
after residence of one year in the
state, on the grounds of desertion on
the part of the other. Should these
differences exist. 49,
| Five. Laws bearing upon the pro-
perry rights of married women arts
ing out of the marriage (a), Home
stead rights; (b), dover rights and
inheritance laws; h(cJ, community
property 2hs@ 81 'rs.
six. Written. marriage or premar.
raige contracts between the married
parties. ta), Relating to their pro
perry; tb). relating to their personal
rights; tel, relating TO their person
al duties and obligations.
"A marriage might specially
enumerate the part that the husband
shall perform and the part that the
wife shall perform There would be
at least a meeting of the minds upon
some OF the practical phases of mar
ried life
Regarding Property Rights.
! Consider. if you will, the wide di-
| Vergence between property rights OF
the married parties in those states
| and in the other states. The principles
OF community property are that all
property acquired during marriage,
by the industry and labor of either
. the husband or the wife or both, to-
gether. with the produced increase
thereof belongs beneficially to both
during the continuance of the mar
riage relations. The states in which
community property prevails are
Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana.
New Mexico, Texas and Washington.
In most OF the other states even
| in those that have farthest advanced
! beyond the ideals of common law un-
der which the wife's property becomes
the husbands on marriage, the hus-
| band, as head of the family and the
bread winner is presumed to be the
owner of all property acquired during
| the marriage.
Nov there would seem to be no
reason why the property rights of
married persons should differ in
Maine, and California and community
property is either the best for society
or is it not. Some one should work
cut the question and see that the
most forward looking laws upon the
, subject are adopted.
'1f you will help the general cause
of Uniform State laws as you can, we
will help you to accomplish your
cause of better laws for women
Remarks BY Senator Putnam.
The last address of the conference
was delivered by. Senator F. f. Put
nam, of Blue Earth, who has served
his district faithfully for the past ten
years in the state senate. Senator
Putnam created great deal of
amusement upon taking the rostrum,
when he said that he realized that
THE old order of things changeth. >"
Senator Putnam said in the open
ing OF his address, which was listened
to with marked attention and interest.
that whenever the majority of the
voters of Minnesota have an idea for
a good law crystalized, they generally
get it. .... ...
When the first movement for suf
frage for women started, the speak
er had no, fixed ideas as to its mer-
its, but as the propaganda of the
women began TO soak in, his ideas
soon crystalized in favor of the move
ment. This was due 10 the fact that
when the public crystalizes public
sentiment, people generally get their
rights. -.,t -> ..
Senator Putnam had yet to learn
of a single law, which had been Pc
titioned for through this method,
which had been turned down.
1t was at considerable length that
Senator Putnam traced the method OF
putting a bill through both houses of
the state legislature. The bill from
it's introduction on the floor of the
senate up to the time of the sigma
ture, or veto of the governor. was
infinitely traced by the senator. This
information, which was entirely new
TO many of the ladies was listened to
yr-tfI ,.y ma