Volume IV Part 109 (1/2)

In 1895 the W. S. A. decided to do no legislative work except to second the efforts of the W. C. T. U. to have the ”age of protection”

for girls raised to 18 years; and to secure a resolution asking Congress to submit a woman suffrage amendment to the Federal Const.i.tution. The latter measure was not acted upon; the former was successful.

In 1897 bills were introduced for the Federal Amendment, for Munic.i.p.al Suffrage, to allow women property holders to vote on issuing bonds, and to make the right of the surviving husband or wife equal in the family estate. Both branches of the Legislature invited Mrs. Colby to address them. Immediately afterward the House Judiciary Committee approved an amendment to the State const.i.tution, striking out the word ”male,” but this was defeated later in the session. The other bills were not reported from the committees.

In 1899 a hearing was granted to a committee from the suffrage a.s.sociation urging a resolution asking Congress to submit a woman suffrage amendment to the State Legislatures, and such a measure was reported to the House but not adopted.

Dower and curtesy both obtain. A widow is ent.i.tled to the life use of one-third of the real estate. In case the husband die without a will, after the payment of all debts, charges, etc., she may have household furniture to the value of $250 and other personal property not exceeding $200. If any residue remains she is ent.i.tled to the same share that a child receives. If there is no issue living, a widow takes the use for life of the entire estate, both real and personal.

If there is no kindred of the husband, the widow comes into absolute possession. If a wife die, leaving no issue, the husband has the life use of all her real estate. If she leave children by a former husband they are ent.i.tled to all of the estate which did not come to her as a gift from her surviving husband. If she leave issue by the latter only, or by both, then the widower has a life interest in one-third of her real estate. After the payment of her debts her personal property is distributed in the same way as her real estate.

The wife can mortgage or sell her real estate without the husband's signature and without regard to his curtesy. He can do the same with his separate property but subject to her dower. Both must join in an inc.u.mbrance or sale of the homestead.

A married woman may control her own property and wages and carry on business in her own name.

Father and mother have equal guardians.h.i.+p and custody of minor children. (1895.)

The husband is expected to furnish suitable maintenance according to his own ideas. The property which belonged to the wife before marriage can be levied on for the husband's debts for necessaries furnished the family if he have no property.

The mother is not ”next of kin” and can not sue for damages to a minor child. In 1900 a child of thirteen was injured by a locomotive, and the Judge held that the father and not the mother was ent.i.tled to bring suit, although she had a divorce years before and had brought up the child without any a.s.sistance from him.

If a divorce is granted for the wife's adultery ”the husband may hold such of her personal estate as the court may term just and reasonable.” If she secure a divorce on account of his adultery, ”the court may restore to her the whole, or such part as may seem just, _of her own property_ which she had at marriage. If this is insufficient for the support of herself and her children the court may decree alimony from the husband's estate.”

The ”age of protection” for girls was raised in 1885 from 10 to 12 years; in 1887 from 12 to 15; in 1895 from 15 to 18. The penalty is imprisonment in the penitentiary not more than twenty nor less than three years, but the law provides that if such ”female child is over 15 and previously unchaste” this penalty shall not be inflicted. For such the law offers no protection. Nor shall there be conviction for the crime against a child of any age without other evidence than her own testimony. (1895.)

SUFFRAGE: In 1869 School Suffrage was conferred on women. In 1875 the Legislature repealed this law except for widows and spinsters. In 1881 it was again changed, and women since then have voted in school district matters on the same terms as men; _i. e._, if parents of children of school age or a.s.sessed on property real or personal they may vote at all elections pertaining to schools. They can not, however, vote for State or county superintendents or county supervisors (commissioners). As the last named levy the taxes, and the other two are the most important officers connected with the schools, it will be seen that women are deprived of the most valuable school vote. All efforts, however, to secure an extension of the school franchise have resulted in failure.

As it requires a majority of the highest number of votes cast at an election to carry an amendment, it is useless to ask the Legislature to submit one conferring Full Suffrage upon women.

OFFICE HOLDING: There is nothing in the State const.i.tution or the statutes making women ineligible to any elective office except members.h.i.+p in the Legislature.

Although they are not allowed to vote for county superintendents there are at present sixteen women filling this office, eight of them serving a second term and three a third, while nineteen are superintendents or princ.i.p.als of schools. A woman was candidate on the Fusion ticket for regent of the State University; another has been registrar since the university opened, and one is at present recorder.

Mrs. Ada M. Bittenbender was candidate for Supreme Judge.

A woman is deputy State auditor. Women are serving or have served as postmasters and as clerks in both houses of the Legislature, clerk of the State library and member of the State examining committee of education. Miss Mary Fairbrother was proof-reader in the House in 1899. Miss Helen M. Goff is a.s.sistant reporter in the State department of the Judiciary. Women act as notaries public.

The W. S. A. and W. C. T. U. secured a bill requiring the appointment of women physicians at three State insane asylums. There are matrons at all of the State inst.i.tutions for the blind, feeble-minded, etc., and also at the Girls' Industrial School, although the superintendent is always a man. The Milford Industrial School has a woman physician, a woman superintendent and a board of five women visitors. At the Home for the Friendless all the officers and employees are required to be women and there is a board of women visitors.

All cities of 25,000 or more are required to appoint police matrons at $50 per month. This includes only Omaha and Lincoln.

A woman is Secretary of the Board of Trade in Omaha and official agent for the Humane Society with police powers.

OCCUPATIONS: No profession or occupation is legally forbidden to women. A woman is president of one bank and vice-president of another.

Among the many in newspaper work, an Indian, Mrs. Susette La F.

Tibbles, is prominent.

EDUCATION: All inst.i.tutions of learning are open to women. In the public schools there are 2,038 men and 7,154 women teachers. The average monthly salary of the men is $45.05, of the women, $36.56.

The Prohibition party always puts a suffrage plank in its State platform and women candidates on its ticket, even for the office of Lieutenant-Governor, but it polls so small a vote that this can be only complimentary. The Populist and Republican parties have indorsed equal suffrage at county conventions and elected women on their tickets. Women go as delegates to the Prohibition and Populist conventions. One of the strongest of the State organizations is the Woman's Relief Corps.