Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-03-06
Crimes Against Women and Girls.

L NItuncs ASiluSt FFuuttu anu
For the GRANT COUNTY HERALD.
EDITOR ADMINISTRATIONS men
| and women there are who fail TO per-
ceive any benefit, either public or pri-
vate, that might arise from woman's
participation in the affairs of local and
state government Yet these cannot be
wholly blind to the fact that evils exist.
the remedy for which man made laws
have proven inadequate.
Passing over the familiar evils of
..The Rum traffic" (Which, under mans
legislation. has developed into so for
midable a power) we will speak of
crimes against women and young girls.
1t is in dealing with the perpetrators of
these crimes that the inefficiency of said
laws are conspicuously revealed. That
these crimes are on the increase is pal
pable to any that read the daily press.
And. with the flood-gates of the Old
World open, and the vast hordes from
its sewers and slums pouring in upon
our shores, that said crimes will con-
tinue to increase must be evident to ALL
In those charged with the said crimes
singular fact seems to exist, namely,
The criminal almost universally escapes
c0nUiction.
Another peculiar feature of these
trials is that the injured victim is gener-
ally, on trial, rather than the indicted
party. She must prove her good char
acteri would it be deemed just. and
lawful should any man be denied the
right to protection from personal injury
because his reputation is not goodp)
In late case in this county, the minds
of the sympathizing jurymen, in con-
sidering the penalty Crowded by the
statutes of said crimes) were so over
come by the idea that it was severe,
that they decided a guilty creature IN
nocent?
Were iuries in these cases composed
equally of men and women, the latter
(women) doubtless, would be better
able to form a correct estimate of the
severity of penalties attached to crimes
against their own sex; and in exercising
their judgement would thus counterbal-
ance the baneful effects of that ''sym-
pathy" which so often seems the predi-
lection of the man juror.
From communication, by Lucinda
B. Chandler, published in the Inter
Ocean of January 31st, 1884. make
the following extracts: "Since the last
communication Imade to the "Woman's
Kingdom" the danger which besets
women and children everywhere has
again made victims of an innocent, self
supporting young woman, and an in
nocent child of eleven years. 1.-The
Emma Bond case has clearly illustrated
the genius of our legal system in re-
gard to criminals in general, and the
violaters of women in particular.
"What can be done! "When case
comes to trial, raise funds by solicita-
ton to secure the best woman lawyer
on the prosecution. Demand o jury
of one-half women, and carry this de-
mand to the Legislature, and continue
to demand, until this simple justice and
act of decency is accomplished. with
our wicked and absurd jury system, re-
quiring unanimous verdict, and the
qualification ofstupidity, crime has alto
gether the best chance. There is no
protection for women and children ex-
cept the lawless rope or bullet. eve
need the heart of womanhood in our
halls of legislation, in our courts, and
on our juries. The head which man
claims to be does not secure the love of
justice without which institutions and
society become corrupt and decay
Mrs. ALLEN TAYLOR
EabruarV % 1894