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THE CASE FOR WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE

henceforward. For her, the married woman, the Act of 1870 was passed, which deprives husbands of "wages and earnings of any married woman acquired or gained by her in any employment, occupation, or trade . . . and all investments of such wages, earnings, money, or property." For the married woman, too, the great reform of 1882, which makes it possible for her to have a legal estate, to possess and dispose of money and acquire separate property. Yet in spite of these reforms, that seem to give her back her personality, feudal law seems to keep its hold on the married women, neglecting the unmarried and allowing them to go forward and claim new rights. In the new franchise bills before the House the married woman was not included—or if she was remembered at last, it was as an after-thought!

Why did the militant Suffragette ever come to the door of the House of Commons? How did she ever come into existence at all? And how is it that while thousands of women, more "intellectual" than she, have asked for the vote for years in the most lady-like and constitutional way, and have got nothing for the pains but admiring politeness?—how is it, I say, that she, the militant Suffragette, can forego the admiration, but wants a Vote, and will, if necessary, fight for it, and—yes, let us admit the truth—die for it?

When a woman forgets to desire admiration, or fear disgrace, when she looks steadily into the face of all that was erst terrible to her, and is willing to