l offices, they have been reported
as doing efficient service. Although the law provided that women
might "vote at any election for the purpose of choosing any
officers of schools," the attorney-general gave an opinion that
it did not entitle them to vote for county superintendent; hence
"an act to entitle women to vote for county superintendent of
schools," was passed by the legislature of 1885.

The ladies' city school committee. Miss A. M. Henderson,
chairman, secured the appointment of a committee of seven women
in Minneapolis, to meet with a like number of men from each of
the political parties, to select such members of the school-board
as all could agree upon. Having thus aided in the nominations,
women were interested in their election. In 1881 Mrs. Merrill and
Miss Henderson stood at the polls all day and electioneered for
their candidates. It was said that their efforts not only decided
the choice of school officers, but elected a temperance alderman.
In many cities of the State the temperance women exert a great
influence at the polls in persuading men to vote for the best
town-officers. At the special election held in Duluth for
choosing school officers, one of the judges of election, and the
clerks at each of the polling places have for the last two years
been women who were teachers in our public schools.

The early homestead law of Minnesota illustrates how easily men
forget to bestow the same rights upon women that they carefully
secure to themselves. In 1869, the "protectors of women" enacted
a law which exempted a homestead from being sold for the payment
of debts so long as the man who held it might live, while it
allowed his widow and children to be turned out penniless and
homeless. It was not until 1875 that this law was so amended that
the exemption extended to the widow and fatherless children.

In 1877, a law was passed which gave the widow an absolute
title--or the same title her husband had--to one-third of all the
real estate, exclusive of the homestead, and of that, it gave her
the use, during her lifetime. So that now the widow has the
absolute ownership, instead of the life use of one-third of
whatever she and her husband may have together earned and saved.
That is, should there be any real estate left, over an