Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-26
FIGHT FOR EQUALITY
TO BEGIN OCTOBER |
Woman's Party Aims to Wipe
Out All National and State
Discrimin atoms.

Washington, Sept. 26.-The Nation
al Woman's Party announces the
completion of preparations for COM
paign TO obtain national and state
legislation removing political, civil and
legal discrimination" against women,
A proposed equal rights" amend
ment TO the Federal Constitution has
been drafted by counsel for the
Woman's party and will be introduced
in the Senate by Senator Curtis, of
Kansas, and in the House by Repre-
sentative Fess, of Ohio, on October ].
The text of the proposed amendment
follows:
Section /. No political, civil or
legal disabilities or inequalities on
account Of sex or on account of
marriage. unless applying equally
TO both sexes, shall exist within
the United States or any territory
subject to the Jurisdiction thereof.
Section .. Congress shall have
power to enforce this article by
| appropriate legislation.
The need of such amendment to
guarantee women equal rights with
men in all states will be presented
eXhaustively by distinguished women
at hearings 10 be held at an early date
by the Judiciary Committees of the
two houses, to which the proposed
amendment will be referred. An effort
Will be made to obtain action on the
amendment at the next session OF
Congress. a two-thirds vote of each
house is necessary for the submission
of an amendment TO the states. ap-
| lnrnNnl nv fhraa %
necessary for adoption.
Incorporation of the propose 4
amendment in the Constitution would
operate to invalidate innumerable pro.
visions of state laws which Withhold,
from women the same rights as mei
IN the possession and disposition o
property. control of minor children
freedom of contract, choice of domicile
holding of public Office. jury and othe
functions.
, The question has been raised wheth
er removal of inequalities on accoun
: of sex" would not operate to invali
date many laws discriminating in ia
vor of women. such as laws iimitin
the hours OF work for women an
prohibiting the employment of wome
. at night.
On this point Miss Maud Younge
= national legislative chairman of N
e womans party, says:
n There are two phases OF the que.
:. ton which we have had to consider
d drawing up this amendment and bill
First, that all the discrimination
e against women should be included. an
e Second. that Industrial Legislation
;. such as the Eight-hour law. minimum
d wages. etc, should not in any way
. touched.
s Al first it was thought that pel
hapS clause specifically exempting il
dustrial legislation would be nece
" sary, but we are informed by our leg
advisors that this is unnecessary. !
o. cur measures now stand il seems III
= they neither approve nor disappro-
such legislaton-they do not touch
Inc consensus of opinion among II
lawyers whom we have consulted
- that the Supreme Court could. at pre
'e ent If it wished, throw out the indu
trial legislation for women as 1lnco
90 sututional under the Fifth and Fou
l teenth amendments to the Constit
! loh, ana that II can, also, do so If O
le proposed amendment is passed. h
ar that our amendment and bin will n
d. make 1t any more likely that this le
er lslaton will be thrown out,
of The Woman's party has also draft
at a blanket bill removing the disabiliti
a OF women for passage by State Leg
an iatures. The Wisconsin Legislatr m
er mas already passsd the bill.