have in very positive and
unmistakable terms declared its precise will, and it is
wasting time to try to explain it away. These wise jurists
do not fear to tell us further, that special laws or
provisions in a constitution or statute abrogate or limit
the general provisions in the same instrument.

We are sorry that our governor apprehends any difficulty
would arise in regard to married women being school
directors. He says the husband might change his domicile and
the wife would be obliged to follow him, and if bond were
required she could not sign it without his consent, and
finally the fact was she could not do _anything_ without the
husband's consent. Then "the husband would share the office
with her." I have heard that it was difficult to prevent
outside influences from operating upon the minds of men in
office. We have certainly heard some complaints of this
sort, but it seems that there would be no great danger
encountered from this source. The duties which this article
of the constitution permits women to perform are not
generally remunerative, and would be probably more a labor
of love than of reward. As to the other objections, perhaps
the husband _would_ sign his wife's bond, and perhaps he
would _not_ move away while she held the office. I have
heard that sheriffs sometimes run away after giving bond,
and people are sometimes elected to office and unable to
qualify, and others disappoint the public by resigning.
Moreover we have ascertained the fact that a tutrix may
subsequently marry, and that act does not prevent her from
filling the office of tutrix, neither does the fact of being
already married prevent her from discharging the duties of
tutrix. But I see no harm done if the husband should become
the assistant of his wife in this office. Is it not manifest
that the two together would have a superior official
knowledge of the needs and exigencies of the girls sent to
the public schools and the women who teach them daily, than
the husband could possibly attain by himself? But the whole
difficulty, it seems to us, might be obviated. Let the