of the association, was a leading spirit, contributing
largely in time and money; Mrs. M. A. Fowler worked night and day,
making routes for speakers and planning the campaign, other women
assisted according to their ability and the club at Richland Center
did excellent service. The decision still left room for litigation,
the claim being made that the ruling of the Supreme Court plainly
recognized the right of women to vote provided their ballots were put
in a separate box.

In the following November Wm. A. McKinley was elected Superintendent
of Schools for Oconto County by the votes of women placed in a
separate box. His election was contested and the case was argued
before Judge Samuel B. Hastings of Green Bay, who, quoting from the
decision of Judge Cassody, decided that women had a right to vote
provided their ballots were put into a separate box. This case also
was appealed to the Supreme Court, where the decision, rendered by
Judge William P. Lyon, Jan. 26, 1890, was that the votes of the women
in Oconto County were illegally counted. The ground for this finding
was that further legislative action was necessary before separate
ballot-boxes could be legally provided. Judge Cassody dissented from
this opinion.

The law then became practically a dead letter, except in a few
instances, until 1901, when an Act of the Legislature provided for
separate ballot boxes for women, and in the spring of 1902 they voted
on school questions.

In 1895 the legislative committee, consisting of Mrs. Jennie
Lamberson, Mrs. Jessie Luther and Mrs. Alice Kollock, assisted by Mrs.
Charlton, secured the introduction of two bills--one to strike the
word "male" from the State constitution, the other for a suffrage
amendment by statute law. A hearing was granted before the joint
committee of both Houses in the Senate Chamber, which was crowded.
Mesdames Elizabeth Boynton Harbert (Ills.), Helen H. Charlton, Nellie
Mann Opdale, Ellen A. Rose and Dr. Annette J. Shaw were the
speakers.[469] The bills were reported favorably but were lost after
discussion.

LAWS: Dower and curtesy obtain. A widow is entitled to a life interest
in one-third of the real estate and, if the husband die without a
will, to the share of a child in the personal estate. If there is no
lawful issue she has the entire estate, both real and personal. The
widower has a life interest in all the real estate of his wife not
disposed of by will, or in all of it if the wife d