SEPTEMBER, 1915
The Commoner
VJ
New Legislation for Women
Below is a summary or the activ
ities of the various state legislatures
during tho past year concerning wo
man suffrage and other subjects re
lating to women, as recently made
public by tho Associated Press:
"Equal suffrage and other legisla
tion affecting women figured prom
inently this year in the discussions
oi' a large majority of the state legis
latures. The sessions oi: most 01!
ill em have now come to a close, and
a summary of their activities collated
by the Associated Press discloses
ihat the question of woman suffrage
canio up for deliberation in twenty
two states, and that divorce laws,
mothers' pensions, women police,
minimum wage, eugenic marriage or
other subjects relating to women
wcro considered in twenty eight
states.
"The legislature of seven states
adopted resolutions whereby a con
stitutional amendment giving women
equal suffrage rights with men will
oe submitted to the people at the
tall elections either this or next year,
'-hey are Massachusetts, Isew Jersey,
.New York and Pennsylvania in 1915;
iowa, South Dakota and West Vir
ginia in 1916. Tennessee adopted a
similar resolution, but it must also
oo passed by the next succeeding leg-
become notaries in the state and giv
ing them the right of petition in
certain instances. Women may
become notaries by a law passed also
in Tennessee and servo in that state
on school boards.
Pension for Mothers Given Consider
ation "Pensions for mothers camo un
for consideration in eighteen states
Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma,
Tennessee and Wyoming legislation
ror this purpose was enacted for the
first time. In two Texas and West
Virginia mothers' pension measures
were killed. In the rest the present
laws were amended or amplified.
"The new Kansas statute fixes the
maximum grant to needy mothers at
$25 a month, to be placed at the dis
cretion of county commissions. The
New Hampshire law limits payment
to $10 a month for a dependent
mother having ono child under six
teen years and $5 for each additional
child. The legislature appropriated
$16,000 for the first two years of the
law's operation.
"The New York statute applies to
widows with a child or children un
der sixteen who will bo allowed the
same amount as it would cost the
state to support them. The Montana
law applies to mothers with children
lslature before it can be submitted to I under fourteen whoso husbands are
ihc voters. So did Arkansas, but the
resolution was ineffective because of
n provision of the' state constitution
which forbids more than three con
stitutional amendments to be sub
mitted at one election, and three had
already been filed with the secretary
Oil .state. ,...',
"California adopted a resolution
declaring that woman suffrage in
that state had been an unqualified
success. Alabama will consider the
question at an .adjourned session to
begin July 7.
"To twelve states woman suffrage
measures met defeat Connecticut,
Dataware, Florida, Indiana, Mich
igan, New Mexico, North Carolina,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas,
Vermont and Wisconsin. Three votes
defeated the measure in Indiana. It
was passed by the senate with only
three votes registered against it, but
a motion in the house to call the bill
out of committee failed to carry, 46'
to 49. -
"Three votes also killed the meas
ure in the Texas legislature, where
it was introduced 'in the house. A
two-thirds' majority, however, was
required to pass it and the suffragist
supporters claimed a great gain. The
resolution did n-t reach the senate.
"Eight votes defeated the bill in
the assembly of Wisconsin, and there
was a bitter contest on the question
in Montana, where, undaunted by the
defeat of their cause at the general
election last year, the suffrage adherents-renewed
the fight. In Del
aware a proposed constitutional
amendment was defeated decisively
in both houses; in Florida in the
lower house; in New Mexico and
North Carolina it died in committee.
In Michigan a proposed amendment
to the constitution, giving women
the right to vote for presidential
electors and all officers of education
al nature, was never reported out of
the senate committee. The general
assembly of Connecticut, declined to
send.-the .measure to the next assem
bly, for 'ratification.
'-New Mexico, however, passed a
law providing 1 r .the appointment of
women on- the governing boards of
state-institutions im the --discretion of
the governor. "vNortlr Carolina enact
ed a 'bill; making women eligible toj
confined to a state institution or are
physically incompetent; tho Nevada
law to widows only. In Oklahoma,
both widows and mothers whose hus
bands are insane or prisoners are el
igible to the benefits of the law, the
compensation being $10 a month for
one child under fourteen and $5i a
month for each additional. The Wy
oming law is similar. Tho law in
Tennessee applies in counties of 50,
000 population or more, and having
juvenile courts. The act was not
made mandatory. Sixteen is the age
limit and $10 and $5 the compensa
tion. Washington passed a bill mak
ing mothers' pension provisions
somewhat less liberal.
"California, Colorado, Connecti
cut, North Carolina, Nevada and
West Virginia acted on divorce laws.
California amplified hers so that
judges were granted power to call in
the district attorney where fraud or
collusion are suspected. Colorado
amended hers so that a decree shall
not be issued until six months attei
tiie divorce has been cranted. Con
necticut added incurable insanity to
the list of grounds for divorce before
the courts. Previously this cause
had to be taken to the legislature.
North Carolina passed a measure
changing from ten to two years the
period required to establish deser
tion, but the act met such a storm of
protest that it was repealed the next
day. Nevada returned to her law
the six months' residence clause.
West Virginia created in each county
the office of "divorce commissioner,"
with power to investigate divorce
suits, appear to trials, examine wit
nesses and defend tho interests of
the state to prevent fraud and col
lusion. The senate of Indiana passed a eu
genic marriage measure, but it was
oo,i tn tho house. Legislation
to promote healthy marriages and
check the social evil was enacted in
Vermont. The law requires all Phy
sicians to report cases of social dis
::'l n Rtate board of health,
bich is empowered to prescribe
quarantine reguiauoua.
t i.- iaw fnr women were enact
ed in Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts
and Wyoming. m&wv "-" IX'
i-L-..i. a firrv-rnur huuid ..-.
law for .both women and -boys under j
sixteen working in mills, factories
and laundries. It stipulates that
such employees shall not work moro
tli an nine bourn iinv uir.nn -- i..
solo purpose of permitting a shorter
RPIIOlllIn frxr .1 ...
-- .w tul UHU uuy m Ul0 WCCK
Massachusetts legislated to prohibit
tho working of women ana children
overtime for the purpose of making
up for the time lost on a logal holi
day. Wyoming enacted for her
working women an eight-hour day;
and both maximum hour and mini
mum wage laws for women were
passed by Kansas. A commission to
investigate a proposed minimum
WaCG law for wnmnn iim .i ...
Idaho. A bill providing for minimum
waBo for women in Michigan was
killed in committee, although tho
commission appointed by Governor
Ferris two years ago to investigate
the subject, returned a strong report
in favor of the enactment of such a
V
"New Mexico nasscd an ant in
creasing tho property rights of the
wife, and Wyoming and Idaho in this
particular placed wife and husband
on an equal footing. New Jersey au
thorized tho appointment of women
policemen. Oregon forbado discrim
ination betwci i male and female
public school teachers in tho pay
ment of salaries. An attempt in Cal
ifornia to enact a law to forbid wo
men to shako dice for money or
prizes was defeated. So was a bill
providing for women jurors."
(During the pa3t month tho Ala
bama senate voted against tho sub
mission of an equal suffrage amend
ment to the state constitution. Ed.)
very reason so bluntly given Pro
hibition is winning lt most noUbJe
victories in regions where an anUg
onism to tho saloon is even snore
pronounced than tho sentiment Ik
favor of total abstinence.
Tho brewers who own moat of tht
saloons are chiefly to blamo for the
disasters that aro overtaking them.
They have not been content to sell
beer. They havo undertaken to gov
ern parties, cities and states. Their
power has been prodigious, and, na
turally, it has often been abutted.
The brewing combine Is the cheekiest
of all our trusts, for it is tho only
one that has yet ventured to operate
openly at tho polls. New York
World.
A NOBLK WORK
Whether ex-Secretary of State Bry
an belongs to tho democratic party
or tho democratic party belongs to
him, that noblo man and real hu
manitarian is certainly helping in a
noble work whllo addressing audi
ences made up of young and old, and
pointing to tho facts that the uso of
alcoholic liquors is not only physfc-
Inllv fninrlniiR. lmf flint it Anrrnanot
man's efficiency, lowers his mental
ity and Imparts constitutional weak
ness to his offspring. And at theso
gatherings ho has affixed his name
as witness to thousands of pledges
givon by men and boys never to uso
Intoxicating liquors. Auburn (Neb.)
Granger.
THE CHEEKIEST OF TRUSTS
"The evidence in this case" said
Judgo Anderson, passing sentence
upon the 116 men. who had dohn.ur.ii on
the ballot-boxes of Vigo county, Ind.,
snoweu that the saloons were the
centres of nearly all the corruption
in tho election at Terro Haute. My
notion is that tho saloon will havo
to go."
Judge Anderson might have said
that tho saloon is going, and in
many states and hundreds of coun
ties has already gone, and for the
HANKING ON DEPRESSION
There is no doubt whatever tha..
the conditions which depressed busi
ness for a time are steadily losing
their Influence. Manufactures, com
merce, financial activities aro all
looking up. As a republican politi
cian nervously nut it tho other day.
"it is now a race between prosperity jfx J
and 1916" meaning that ho was V?I
afraid prosperity would bo here in
overwhelming force before the next
; presidential election.
Tho Post is not alone In thinking
that prosperity will come under tho
wiro a winner. 'Boston Post.
.1
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