The New York herald., 1922-05-21

Special Correspondence to THE New York
HERALD
WASHINGTON, d. c., May 20.
NHE removal of all forms of
the subsection of women will
be urged with greater effort by
the National Council of the National
Womans Party at the dedication cere-
monies of the new national headquar-
ters tomorrow.
tentative draft of the proposed
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States has been prepared and
Will be handed to the President for
transmission to the House and Senate.
The proposed amendment is in two
sections and in f,s present form reads:
No POLITICAL civil or legal disabili-
ties on account of sex, or on account
OF marriage unless applying to both
sexes. shall exist within the United
States or any place subject to their
Jurisdiction.
Congress shall have power to en-
force this article by appropriate legis-
lation."
Mrs. John Winters Brannan. one Of
the twenty-five women founders rep
resenting New York city, before leav-
ing for Washington said that the pro-
posed amendment would be presented
at the same time that the womens
charter of rights was promulgated.
The rights which we demand" said
Mrs. Brannan, will be listed in this
charter, based on the charter of rights
adopted by the first women's rights
convention, held at Seneca Falls, N. Y,
in 1S4s.
Essence of First Demand
Is in New Bill of Rights
There is very little difference in
the rights demanded then and the
rights we demand row. only one, the
right of suffrage, has been completely
secured, and the essence of the reso-
luton of the women of hoop skirt
days SINNERS in our charter Of rights.
For instance, the spirit of tie demand
of the women of 184S is fitly expressed
in the one clause:
"'Resolped, That the women of this
country ought to he enlightened in re-
gard to the laws under which they
live. that they may no longer publish
tEeir degradation by declaring them
se,ves satisfied with, their present po-
sition ~nor their ignorance by assert
ing that they have all the rights they
want
THAT almost three-quarter century
old resolution is in great measure
the summum bonum of our new CHAR
Da fo- ~
the laws of New York State women
cannot serve on juries; that married
women have no choice of domicile;
that men are preferred to women in
the appointment of executors and ad-
ministrators; that the married wom-
ans services belong to her husband
even the fact that wife's contract
with her husband to work for him in
his business does not create a debt
provable in bankruptcy, the wife owes
Eer husband her services and cannot
make valid agreement to work for
him, even though that work be outside
the home? Mothers cannot recover
damages for loss of services of a
minor child, the courts holding that
the fathers common law priority still
prevails and in case of separation the
custody of the child or children will be
awarded to him unless he has for
feited the right by his misconduct or
the children's interest requires other
wise.
"All these objections, binding as
they do all women in subsection with
the gives of legality. must be cut
asunder. This campaign to remove
the Determinations against women in
the laws of the United States is but
the beginning of our determined effort
to secure the freedom of women, just
part of the struggle for human
liberty. for which women are first of
all responsible. Our new charter de-
mands the final liberation of woman
from the class of a dependent, sub
servient being, to which early civiliza-
tion committed her.
Work of Pioneer Women