Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-06-28
Illinois Armageddon
In WOmen'S Rights

CHICAGO, June 28.-Illinois is
TO be the Armageodon OF American
women IN the legal battle to remove
the chattel restrictions that still
hedge Uncle Sans 100000 nieces
with a thorn-barrier Of inequality.
The day when the right Of citi-
zens Of the United States shall be
denied or abridged by the United
States or By any state on account
OF sex is at its sunset. You may take
the word Of Mrs. @. p. Fowler.
chairman Of the legal status COM
mittee Of the Illinois League Of
Women Voters for that.
New Legal Deal
And with the dawn Of another
day, theren be a new legal deal all
the way around, and q new deck Of
privileges under the lawl
Women Of this state have started
off the battle by pushing through
the house Of representatives a bill
permitting women on juries, sub
ject to a referendumin 1880. Here
tof0re, there has never been a refer
endum vote on this subject in the
United States, those common
wealths allowing women jurors TO
serve having settled the matter by
court decision.
But let Mrs. Fowler have the
floor.
The Nineteenth amendment to
the constitution of the United
States. giving women the franchise
neither directly nor indirectly re-
moved all desirable legal inequali-
ties between men and women" said
Mr.. Fowler. In many states. for
instance. it does not operate to
make women eligible or liable for
jury duty.
Jury service was open 10 women
in three states before 1920. Since
that time, by new state statutes or
by construction OF those already ex-
isting. women have been made ju-
rorS in IS states and the District Of
Columbia. OF the 2l state laws pro-
vidlng for women jurors, nine are
compulsory; in two states there are
special eXceptions-for nurses-and
IN the other 10 states and the Dis
trict Of Columbia, service is permis-
sive.
The Illinois legislature has pass
ca the women on juries' bills, and
IL up 10 the women Of the state
to see that the referendum makes
effective their years Of work to
achieve this success. If Illinois ad-
mlts women as jurors. IL will mean
the call 70 arm Of the women Of
the nation"
But Illinois women aren't out to
change their status and that or
their sisters in the other Al states
OF the union in the matter Of Jury
service alone. Their grievances are
many, and the remedies they sug-
gest drastic. The fight is on. and
their position is TO strike hard while
the iron IL not.
Mrs. Eirod Speaks
AT this juncture. ID might be best
70 recognize Mrs. Rena Elrod. mem
Der Of the Illinois legislature from
the twenty-fifth district in Chica-
60. and a leading figure IN the
League Of Women Voters.
There is still much To be done
10 remove the barrier of women's
inequality in the law" she declared.
Why. in the state Of Oklahoma
women are still ineligible TO hold
major state offices. such as COVER
nor, lieutenant governor, attorney
general. state treasurer and the
like. In spite Of the herculean eff
forts Of women leaders in the va
riOus states. one word still bars
women from becoming governor OF
Wisconsin.
According 70 federal aw, a wom-
an citizen loses her citizenship by
marriage TO an alien ineligible 10
citizenship, while the converse Is
not true. A man may marry a
woman ineligible to citizenship
without loss Of his status as a citi-
zen.
ia woman who marries a natur-
allied citizen loses her citizenship
through continued residence out
side Of the United States latter two
years ~ a foreign state Of which her
husband IS a subject. A native
born mele citizen. however. married
to an alien woman. does not lose his
citizenship through continued resi-
dencC in a foreign country"
About laws affecting family rela-
tons. Mrs. Elrod has this to say:
An equal guardianship law has
been passed in IS states. although
IN one Of these il is provided that
IN case Of dispute the fathers au-
thority shall prevail. In he rest
az the nation the fathers guardian
ship rights are unquestioned.
"One-third or the states in the
Union provide that the wife shares
equally in the children's earnings
with the husband. There are eight
community property states in which
the husband has control Of the
community property during his life
time. but in four Of these states
the wife must join in a conveyance
Of real estate. In these states. hus-
band and wife have no interest
whatever in each others separate
estate. Of the remaining 40 states.