Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-26
To End All National And
State Discrimination
Against Sex Is Aim
AMENDMENT DRAFTED
Proposed Constitutional Change To
Be Presented to House And Senate
On October

Washington, Sept. 26.-The Nation.
al Woman's Party announced yester-
day the completion of preparations
for a campaign to obtain national and
state legislation removing political,
civil and legal determinations
against women.
A proposed equal rights" amend,
ment to the Federal Constitution has
been drafted by counsel for the Wo-
mems party and will be introduced in
the Senate by Senator Curtis, of Kan
sas, and in the House by Representa-.
tive Fess of Ohio, on October /. The
text of the proposed amendment toi-
lows:
Section /. No political, civil or Legal
disabilities or inequalities on account
of sex or on account of marriage, un-
less applying equally to both sexes,
shall exist within the United States
or any territory subject to the luris-
diction thereof.
Section 2.-Congress shall have
power to enforce this article by ap.
propriate legislation.
The need of such amendment to
guarantee women equal rights with
men in all the states will be present
ed exhaustively by distinguished wo'
men at hearings to be held at an ealiy
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 o.
Congress. A two-thirds vote Of eacn
house is necessary for the submis-
sion of an amendment to the states
approval by three-foulths of which /"
necessary for adoption.
Incorporation of the proposed
amendment in the Constitution would
operate to invalidate innumeraoic
provisions of state laws which with
hold from women the same rights 4"
men in the possession and disposition
of property, control of minor chlldre2
freedom of contract choice. of doni-
cile, holding Of public Office, jury SER
vice and other functions.
The question has been raised wheth-
er removal of inequalities on account
of se::." would not operate to Invall-
date many laws discriminating IN fav-
or of women, such as laws limiting the
hours of work for women and prohi-
biting the employment of women at
night. On this roint Miss Maud Young
er, national legislative chairman of
the Woman's party, said last night:
"There are two phases of the ques-
ton which we have had to consider in
drawing up this amendment and
bill.
First. that all the determinations
against women should be included
and
Second, that industrial legislation
such as the Eight-hour law, minimum
wages, etc, should not in any way be
touched.
".At first it was thought that per-
haps a clause specifically exemptine
industrial legislation would be neces-
sary. but we are informed by oul
legal advisers that this is unnecessary
AS our measures now stand it seems
that they neither approve nor disap-
prove such legislation--they do noi
touch it. The consensus of opinion
among the lawyers whom we nave
consulted is that the Supreme Court
could, at present if it wished throw
out the industrial legislation for wo
men as unconstitutional under the
Fifth and Fourteenth amendments to
the Constitution, and that it can, also
do so if our proposed amendment is
passed, but that our amendment and
bill will not make it any more likely
that this legislation will be thrown
out"
The Woman's party has also draft
ed blanket bill removing the disabi-
lities Of women for passage by State
Legislatures. The Wisconsin Legisla-
ture has already passed the bill.