The St. Mary banner., 1922-02-11
Women TO Demand Equal
Legal and Civil Rights
With Men.
Inequalities In Louisiana
Laws Topics of Talks By
Mrs. John ID. Wilkinson
and Miss Lavinia Egan.

That women citizens have no
equal rights, privileges and inmuni
eies under the laws OF Louisiana a
have men citizens was the theme 0
speeches delivered to a representa-
| tive audience at~the Court House il
Franklin on the evening of Feb. 4th
/ BY Mrs. John D. Wilkinson OF Shreve
port, Chairman of the LouisianS
| branch Of the National Woman.
Party, and Miss Lavinia Egan Of
Shreveport and Washington, D. C.
member of the National Council OF
that organization.
Both Mrs. Wilkinson and Miss
Fran are past presidents Of the
State Federation Of Women Clubs
and Mrs. Wilkinson was, by appoint
mcnt Of Governor Parker, a member
Of the Constitutional Convention of
1921.
Mrs. Wilkinson cited numerous ar
ticles Of the Civil Code which dis
criminate against women, and declar-
ed her intention to demand of the
Legislature when it meets in May
the passage of a bill which will
grant to the women of Louisiana the
same rights, privileges and immuni
ties under the laws of our State as
have ren with respect to:
Choice of voting domicile;
Acquiring, controlling, holding and
property;
Freedom of contract, including be
coming party in any capacity to
ne rotiable instruments or evidence Of |
or becoming surety or |
guarantOr;
Becoming parties litigant; /
Custody and control Of children, !,
md control Of earnings and services
# such children;
1mmunities or penalties for sex Of
ences;
Quarantine, examination and treat
nent Of disease;
And i'll all other respects.
Miss Egan, who is the Louisiana
nember Of the governing body of the
National Woman's Party, spoke or
ne purpose Of that organization,
'hich, she stated, is not a party as
re the Democratic and Republican
arties. 1t is, she explained, a non
artizan organization working singly
nd solely to change the lie .al and
vil status of women. 1t will put
p no ticket and work for no candi-
ate; it will work to remove the
gal and civil determinations against
omen in the laws Of the Unitel
tates and in every state in the I'm
n. The Wisconsin Branch of the
ational Woman's Party succeeded
the Spring of 1921, in having
assed in that state the first Wo-
ans Bill of Rights to be passed in
ly Country.
While each state will have chance
pass a measure to remove such
ws as are discriminatory against
omen, and so bring about this re-
rm according to the doctrine Of
ate Fights, the National Woman's .
arty, having learned a lesson from
e long years Of waiting for suf-
are to come by the same slow pro-
IS, will work also for the passage :
another amendment to the q =,
institution of the United States :
lich will complement the nine
enth and make it operative. This o
lendment will be presented, on
half of the National Woman's q,
rtv. at the present session of the fc
ngrtss by Senator Curtis Of Kan gj
$ and Representative Fess Of Ohio. %
Mrs. Wilbur Kramer presided at I:
2 meeting and introduced the W
eakers. A local unit of the Louisi is
a Branch Of the National Woman's d;
rty was formed with Mrs. w. H. is
amer, Mrs. Charles Pecot and Mrs a.
A. O'Niell in charge. re
The following resolution was ad- %
ted at the meeting: S,
Resolved, that we, the members
d friends of the Louisiana Branch w
the National Woman's Party, as 70
nbled at Franklin on Feb. 4, 1922, &C
hereby call upon our representa- te
es in Congress, the Hon. Whitmel
Martin and Senators Joseph E.
nsdell and Edwin Broussard, to 81
rk and vote for the principle of an
endment to the Constitution Of the
ited States which will provide that =
political, civil or legal disabilities e. -
inequalities on account Of sex, or y
account of marriage unless apply ~ ~
alike to both sexes, shall exist ~
hin the United States or any place II II
'ject to their jurisdiction" I'd I'd
During their stay in Franklin, Mrs. { :
lkinson and Miss Egan were the N.
'sts of Mrs. Wilson T, Peterman. ="
T your car needs a new top and w,