it
would "strike at the root of Christianity," "ruin the home," and "open
wide the door to license and debauchery." And yet these men did so
argue through weeks of stormy debate; the bitterest feeling being
shown, not with regard to the proposed change in the law of descent,
but with regard to the right of women to "acquire and possess property
to their sole use and disposal," during the husband's life-time. It is
strange, indeed, that the man who advocated this "most meagre
justice," as he truly says, should have been a target, not only for
ridicule, but for abuse. I append one extract of the latter
description, to illustrate how violent and unreasoning was the
prejudice with which my father contended. One gentleman after quoting
from the marriage contract of my father and mother, the extract in
which he, my father, divests himself of the right to control the
"person and property of another," proceeds as follows:

Sir, I would that my principles on this, in contradistinction
with those of the gentlemen from Posey, were written in
characters of light across the noon-day heavens, that all the
world might read them. (Applause). I have in my drawer numerous
other extracts from the writings of the gentleman from Posey, but
am not allowed to read them; and, indeed, sir, under the
circumstances, decency forbids their use. But if I were permitted
to read them, and show their worse than damning influence upon
society, in conjunction with this system of separate interests, I
venture to aver that gentlemen would turn from them with disgust;
aye, sir, they would shun them as they would shun man's worst
enemy, and flee from them as from a poisonous reptile. (Page
1161, "Debates in Indiana Convention").

The section was finally reconsidered and rejected a few days before
adjournment (p. 2013). But my father, with his characteristic
perseverance, continued his efforts until they were finally crowned
with success in the Legislature, after fifteen years of endeavor.

Most of the arguments used by those delegates, if they can be called
by so dignified a name, bear a singular resemblance to the arguments
used to-day by the opponents of woman's suffrage. May we not then
conclude that the fears which have been proved absolutely groundless
in the one case, may be equally so in the other?

An enthusiastic public meeting was held in Indianapolis in honor of my
father by th