ion of
any State in the Union. The three places which are so largely utilized
by outsiders who wish a speedy divorce, because only a ninety days'
residence is required, are North and South Dakota and Oklahoma, in
neither of which have women any suffrage except for school trustees.

The "age of consent or protection" for girls, i. e., the age when they
are declared to have sufficient understanding to consent to
intercourse, and above which they can claim no legal protection, was
fixed at ten years by the Common Law. No action was taken by any State
to advance the age up to which they might be protected until 1864,
when Oregon raised it to fourteen years. No other State followed this
example until 1882, when Wyoming made it fourteen. In 1885 Nebraska
added two years making it twelve. At this date women commenced to
besiege the Legislatures in all parts of the country, and there was a
general movement from that time forward to have the age of protection
increased, but in almost every instance where this has been
accomplished, the penalty for violation of the law has been reduced,
and now in thirteen States no minimum penalty is named. The age still
remains at ten years in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South
Carolina. In Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia the age
is twelve years, but in Tennessee it is only a "misdemeanor" between
twelve and sixteen. (For the recent efforts of women in Georgia and
Florida to have the age advanced, and their failure, see the chapters
on those States.) In Delaware the Common Law age of ten years was
reduced to seven by the Legislature in 1871, and no protection was
afforded to infants over seven until 1889 when the age was raised to
fifteen, but the crime was declared to be only a "misdemeanor."

Women who have "all the rights they want," and men who insist that
"the laws are framed for the best interests of women," are recommended
to make a study of those presented herewith.

Under the head of Suffrage it is stated whether women possess any form
of it and, if so, in what it consists. The story of the four States
where they have the complete franchise--Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and
Idaho--naturally is most interesting, as it describes just how this
was obtained and gives considerable information on points which are
not fully understood by the general public. The chapter on Kansas
doubtless will come next in interest, as there women have had the
Municipal ballot since