ull Suffrage
on women in the manner provided by the constitution was introduced in
the Senate by J. W. Stevens and passed by 16 ayes, 15 noes. It was
called up in the House on the last day of the session. Miss Elizabeth
Preston was invited to address that body, and the Senate took a recess
and came in. The bill received 33 ayes, a constitutional majority, and
was returned to the Senate. The House then took a recess, and during
this brief time the enemies of the measure secured enough votes to
recall it from the Senate. This body by vote refused to send it back,
thus endorsing it a second time. The Speaker of the House, George H.
Walsh, refused to sign it. Then began a long fight between the House
and the Senate. A motion was made by Judson La Moure instructing the
President of the Senate to sign no more House bills until the Speaker
signed the Woman Suffrage Bill. This armed neutrality lasted until 10
o'clock that night when some of the senators, who had important
measures yet to pass, weakened and voted to send the bill back to the
House. When it reached there a motion prevailed to expunge all the
records relating to it.

In the Legislature of 1895 a bill for a suffrage amendment was
introduced in the House by A. W. Edwards, editor of the Fargo _Forum_.
Mrs. Emma Smith DeVoe was sent by the National Association to assist
in the work for the passage of this and other bills of interest to
women. The courtesy of the floor was extended to her in the House and
she was invited to address the members, the Senate again taking a
recess and coming in to listen. Col. W. C. Plummer spoke against the
bill, which received 28 ayes but not a constitutional majority. No
suffrage bill has been introduced since.[204]

Dower and curtesy have been abolished. If either husband or wife die
without a will, leaving only one child or the lawful issue of one
child, the survivor is entitled to one-half of the real and personal
estate. If there is more than one child living, or one child and the
lawful issue of one or more children, the widow or widower receives
one-third of the estate. If there is no issue living, he or she
receives one-half of the estate; and if there is neither father,
mother, brother nor sister, the whole of it. The survivor may retain a
homestead to the value of $5,000, which on his or her death the minor
children are entitled to occupy.

A married woman may contract, sue and be sued and proceed in all
actions as if unmar