The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-04-10
fPublishsd BY Requsst.l
WoMEH JURORS IN WYOMING.
" - ::
LARAMIE CITY, WYoxIxo Tsla1rorr.
...... December 26, 1872. I

...>. december ~, 1872.
70 ae Rz'"s,'sasta Res.an Suffrage Aaosiaston:
It is oow three years since the a., t
was passed giving women the right of
sutfrage, and the right to bold Office,
10 this Territory, in all respects the
same as other electors. Under this
law they have been elected, and ap.
pointed, to various Offices, and have
acted as Jurors and Justices of the
Peace. They have very generally
voted at ali our elections, and have
taken some part 10 the nominations, ];
and although there are some among US
Who do not approve of i. as principle,
-thlok there is no one who will deny
that 1t has had marked influence in
eleVatlog our elections, and making
item quiet snd orderly and in euabl.
log the courts to punish classes OF
crime where conviction could not be op-
tained without their aid.
For Instance when the Territory
was first organized, almost every one
carried loaded revolver on his person F.;
and, ss matter OF course, alterations
generally resulted 10 using them. ]
do not remember a single instance
where jury Of men has convicted Ell.
ther party for shooting At each ether,
even 10 crowded room, if 40 one was
killed ; or for killing auy one, if the
victim had been armed. But with tw,
or three women on the jury, they have
never tailed to follow the Instructions
Of the court.
Again the courts have been nearly
Powerless, With only men for jurors, ip
enforcing the laws against drunken.
oess, gambling, houses of ill.fame, and
dsb'uohery ~ .ps Fits forms. N~i-
'her Graad nor Petit juries could be
relied IN but few women on either
pauel changed the face OF things at
once; ana from that day 4his kind OF
vice has trembled before the law and
hidden itself from sight. where former.
ly 1t stalked abroad with shameless
front and brazen confidence 10 protec-
tioo from Punishment.
There are, comparatively, so few
women here, and ,ho,e are SO general
ly kept at home by domestic duties,
that the Courts have been unable to ob.
tain as many of them for jurors as was
desirable. But those who have served
have uniformly scquitted them selves
With great credit. Not single ver-
d,ct, civil or criminal, has been set
aside s0here soonaen have composed
a part Of thej jury. This has Mt been
the case, by any means, when they
have not been present. They have
given better attention than the men
have to the progress of the trials have
remembered the evidence better have
paid more heed to the charges of the
court have been less Influenced by
business relations, and outside consider
atoms; and have exhibited keeoer
conscieotiousness in the honest dis
charge of responsibility. And l have
heard of no instance where they have
incurred any odium, or ill-wil, Or want
Of respect, from having served as jul,
ors. % the contrary, am quite sure
that in every instance they have been
more highly respected aud more gen.
orally appreciated in consequence OF
it.
There is one other influence that
has grown out of the presence Of wo-
men io the court room, both as jurors
and as bail,ffs, that has been most : p
parent and welcome ; 1t is the quiet Or
der and decorum, the decent and re.
sEectiu' behavior, the gen,lemaoly
bearing that has always been observed
iu their presence. The spectators come
there better dressed, chew less tobacco
and spit less, sit more quietly in their
seats, walk more carefully on the floor,
talk aod whisper less and in all re.
spe Cts the court room assumes a more
digni6ed and busioess.like air and bet
ter progress is made in disposipg of the
matter on hand.
Certainly the whole effect on our
courts and our community, resulting
from the participation Of women in the
administration of the laws, has been
most beneficial aud satisfactory and it
seems to me peculiarly proper that