Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-08-30
Woman Suffrage.
HOW THE EXPERIMENT WORKS IN WYOMING

The Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage
Association recently addressed judo
bingham, of Wyoming, letter asking
his opinion of the working of the law
admitting women to juries, and the fol-
lowing, which we take from the Chris
tan Union, is his reply:
LARAMIE CRY,
Wyoming Territory, Dec. 2G, 1872.
To the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage
Association: It is now three years
since the Act was passed giving women
the right of suffrage, and the right to
hold Office in this Territory, in all re-
spccts the same as others electors.
Under this law they have been elected,
and appointed to various offices, and
have acted as jurors and Justices of the
Peace. They have very generally
voted at all our elections, and have
taken some part in the nominations;
and although there are some among us
who do not approve of it as principle,
/ think there no one is who will deny
that it has had marked influence in
elcvatins our elections, and making
them quiet and orderly and in enabling
the Courts to punish classes of crime
where conviction could not be OBJ
tained without their aid.
For instance: when the Territory
was first organized, almost every one
carried loaded revolver on his person;
and, as matter of course, alterations
generally resulted in using them. 1 do
not remember single instance where
a jury of men has convicted either par
ty for shooting at each other, even in a
crowded room, if no one was killed; or
for killing any one, if the victim had
been armed. But with two or three
women on the jury, they have never
failed to follow the instruction of the
Court.
Again, the Courts have been nearly
powerless, with only men for jurors, in
enforcing the laws against drunken
ness, gambling, houses of ill-fame, and
debauchcry in any of its forms. Neith-
er grand nor petty juries could be re-
lied on; but few women on either
pannel changed the face of things at
once; and from that day this kind Of
vice has trembled before the law and
hidden itself from sight; while former
ly it stalkcd abroad with shameless
front and brazen confidence in pro-
lection from punishment.
There are, comparatively, SO few wo-
men here, and those are SO generally
kept at home by domestic duties, that
the Counts have been unable to obtain
as many Of them for jurors as was de-
sirable. But those who have served
have uniformly acquitted themselves
with great credit. Not a single ver-
dict, civil or criminal, has been set
aside where women have composed n
part of the jury. This has not 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 remem-
bered the evidence better; have paid
moro heed to the charges of the Court
have been less influenced by business
relations; and have exhibited keener
conscientiousncss in the honest dis
charge of responsibility. And have
heard of no instance where they have
incurred any odium, or ill-will, or want
of respect, from having served as jurors
On the contrary, I am quite sure that
they have been more highly respected,
and more generally. appreciated in con-
sequence of it.
There is one other influence that has
grown out of the presence of women in
the Court room, both as jurors and as
bailiffs, that has been most apparent
and welcome; it is the quiet order and
decorum, the decent and respectful be-
havior, the gentlemanly bearing that
has always been observed in their pres
ence. The spectators come there bet
ter dressed, chew less tobacco and spit
less, sit more quietly in their seats,
walk moro carefully ON the floor, talk
and whisper less; and in all respects
the Court room assumes moro digni-
fed and business like air; and better
progress is made in disposing of the
matter in hand.
Certainly the whole effect on OR
Court" and on our "NI1mu@:E. result
r.s Iro'' thl participation IF ~onon n
l!'e "'.a.ai-.-ol,ouof 'iur lars. Has been