Litchfield enquirer., 1874-09-24
Civil Rights for Women.

It strikes us that civil rights bill for the protection of women is one of the nc cessities of the times, equally, at least, with a civil rights bill for the protection of colored people. Our socical customs forbid respectable women from going out unattended by some male protector, in the streets of our large cities at night. and close the doors of hotels to them while travelling alone. It is easy to see what terrible hindrances such customs are to those women who are so unfortunate as to be obliged to earn their own ivings, or who are so enterprising as to wish to earn an independence in country which pro- fesses to offer special advantages to peo- pie desirous of living useful, independent lives. Last week letter to the New York Tribune gives instances of the annoy ances to which ladies travelling alone are subjected. A widow, daughter of Ia late Uni ed States senator, whose home is in De- troit, was refused a room in the Metropo- Titan hotel, on the pretext that the house was full; and with peculiar insolence, the clerk declined to see her, but communi- cated with her by a call-boy. The lady protested against being turned into the street at nightfall. but to no purpose. In this dilemma, mortified and chagrined, she sought the house of a former acqualnt- ance in Brooklyn. To do no injustice to the clerk, gentleman there who heard her story went straightway to the Metrop olitan, obtained a room, and ascertained that there were plenty more rooms empty. The writer of the Tribune's account men, tions also a case in which Senator Grimes of Iowa found it all he could do to prevail upon the proprietors of the Astor house to give room to lady slightly acquaint- ed with him, who appealed for his help, and would have been turned out without it.
 The Springfield Republican mentions an- other instance in which lady was reluct- antly given a room in another large New York hotel, but afterward subjected to such an insulting inquisition, first by servant and then by the clerk, that she left the hotel at once, and wont to anoth- CT, where she was treated respectfully. In
 all such cases we are aware that lady re- fused admittance to hotel which is not really unable to accommodate her can have her action at law; but so can a col ored man, and why should one need a more effective remedy than the other?
 Another gross of outrage shows the in- dignities to which unprotected women may be subjected in our cities. Two re- spectable young girls, employed as work ing girls upon sewing machines at a Broadway furnishing store, were arrested by policeman while on their return home from work at an early hour on Wednesday evening last. They were carried to sta- ton house, insulted there with obscene language, s0ere refused communication with their friends and were kept in custo- dy till the following morning.
 The Tribune comments on the outrage as follows:
 The officer who effected the arrest may have done so under a mistake, but there | seems to be no excuse whatever for the out
 rageous proceedings at the station-house.
 Aside from all other features of the case,
 it is clearly evident that any person may | be subjected to the yiIest indignity. if when under arrest no opportunity. is af- | fofded to communicate with friends. It
 is fast becoming proverb that our police ! authorities gre far more a terror to re. l spectable citizens than to the criminal ! classes. . t..r.- ...... When we remember how necessary it of-
 ten IS for women working for living to transact business in the evening, and
 when we see the liability to the coarsest
 insult to which their sex subjects them
 at the hands of any blundering or mali cious patrolman. can we wonder that it
 is not respectable" for woman to work !?
 MT. Tilton's final statement was pub-
 lished in Saturdays papers. It is very | o111o docrpaopk and ro1;voc oov,,a- -R kL o