worth a hundred thousand dollars, he being penniless himself! 

 By the act ot marriage the law, as it then stood, transferred her 

 whole property to him. He owned the one hundred thousand 

 dollars, she was penniless. Perhaps his good fortune was too 

 much for his constitution. In a brief time he sickened, and 

 when about to die made his will, disposing of this hundred 

 thousand dollars. He generously gave his wife the use of it as 

 long as she should remain his widow. 



To-day a woman may be possessed of property in her own 

 right. She wills it to a dependent sister and mother, that when 

 she is gone the]dependent relatives may not want. She marries. 

 By the act of marriage, as the law now stands, her will is revoked. 

 She^^dies. Her dependent relatives are left penniless, while her 

 husband consoles himself with the possession of her whole estate, 

 if it is not large, and this in spite of her will or wishes. 



Was there ever a lawyer who did not blush to tell a trembling, 

 anxious mother that she had not an equal right to her babe with 

 its drunken father. The lawyer must tell this if he tells the 

 truth. I know that in administering the law the courts are more 

 humane than the law itself, and often give the child to the mother 

 as against the father, but I know equalh^ well, as does every law- 

 yer, that the common law still holds the right of the father to the 

 child, even the babe in the cradle, as above and superior to that 

 of the mother. 



But suppose we concede that the men of the Commonwealth 

 do naturally exercise the right of suffrage for the best interest of 

 all. What has that to do with the principle? Because a wise 

 king ma}' rule more wisely during his life than the whole people 

 of a Republic, must we, therefore, concede that Monarchy is pre- 

 ferable to Democracy ? For the last forty years the Republicans 

 have controlled the I^egislature of Massachusetts and made the 

 laws of the Commonwealth. Would not Democrats think it im- 

 pertinent if the Republicans should now say : ' ' You see we 

 have done well when long tried. Why not you Democrats stop 

 voting and leave to us exclusively this voting business? '' 



The year has come when the voters of Massachusetts will 

 have an opportunity to declare whether or not they desiie Muni- 

 cipal Suffrage for women? Farmers, are not your interests with 

 the affirmative of this question ? Do you not feel the need often 

 in town government of intelligent, conscientious, conservative 

 votes? Man}^ of the old homesteads are deserted, others are 



occupied by newcomers, well-meaning people, perhaps, but many 



n 



