The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-03-11

AcN NEclAANAAH w - AN-Nll- - =
voter and juror. We give q consid-
cradle extract. Mrs Thomas says:
IL has occurred 90 me many times
that my experience, as . woman here
tofUre opposed 10 woman suffrage.
might be Interesting, perhaps helpful,
90 many Of our women.
I have been ia this Territory nine
or ten years was perfectly satisfied
with my condition had eli the rights
] cared for; In fact. was entirely in
different % Womanis ballot.
My Interest aud effort IN the tenn
perance cause brought me in contact
with 50 much Inconsistency IN pro-
fesseti temperance men when election
day came, that, WOmsn-like | rea-
soned, III women would only vote.
they would not simply play, Lord
save the drunkard, but would put
their vote toward Il too" While !
was, chicken-like, Just breaking my
shell, / aWOke one morning 70 ind
myself a full-hedged citizen. ] was a
little ashamed, somewhat astOBished,
altogether myslified 81 what 4 should
do. Believing that the powers that
are ordained Of God ~ a Christian
my duty was plain, whatever the re-
suit might be.
At tins point one morning, to my
great consterp alton found myself sum-
moBed upon jury duty.
The dreaded morning came. and
went 70 my doom. Such q place the
cUurt Douse appeared O. me! Inc
fact that lawyers had objected to wO-
men on the grand jury the previous
day did not better things.
There were no special objections
made that day, aud after certain
forms Of law had been disposed Of, a
gambling case was called for. Truly,
what next? / simply stepped out Of
the iury-bOX and tried 10 find q cor
ner. 1 did not know whether TO feel
sighted or cOmplimented. was
sure 81 only one thing, l wss not
wanted on that case. But / soon had
some company; one, two more ladies
were called off. and as they left, what
q smile passed over the faces Of the
lawyers But more ladies were In
the iury-b0x, so they gave that up.
The ca z was heard, and conviction
followed. Next day several men
came Co plead guilty in similar cases.
By advice Of lawyers, and 80 the work
went on. There were seventeen cases
Rt that term Of court aud thirteen
convictions four forfeited bail. / sat
through n term OF i've weeks; was on
two cases which occupied a week
each was locked up. We were ell
locked up one night on q Chinese
case and a. we passed into court
next day, some of our fellow towns
men in court were interested 10 see
how women stood il. The verdict
was that We looked brighter and bet
ter than the men. We were also e.
corted several times through the
streets 10y couIt officials 10 meals at
Uncle sans expense. On one case
which we took down into the Jury
room. the first ballot stood eleven TO
one, with the blissful prospect of stay
ing out all night, as il was clearly a
case at eleven obstinate jurors. But
when certain Transactions crept out,
and h woman protested that she
would not be- party 10 cover up the
fact, should they return TO court
twelve votes were east next time and
the ease settled.
The men were all that could be de-
aAANAAs " aANA AAlN NANA NiAANA "a NAAEa " AAu
insisted that real nice woman"
would not iii un jury. He made
himself very conspicuous la his ef-
forts tu ''let them have enough of It..
But somebody else got enough OF him
before lnug. H. lac was excused from
further service before half the term
was over. At the commencement of
the term. the Introduction Of women
Into the juTy-boX caused some anxiety
10 the Older aud most experienced
gentleman jurors, hut ut It's close they
themselves unQualifedly
pleased and satisfied. There was 3
little change iu that establishment.
TObac,o-sniuke, cigars aud spiitoOns
before the restless knit
ting needle. and ladies' paraphernalia
were seen in many parts Of the court
house where such things had never
been seen before. Truly the change
was q great improvement In the SAINT
iaFy conditions OF That important in
stitutiOn.
To tie released from duty was Of
course a relief 10 Us all M a certain
sense, though l do not know OF one OF
Us who would not cheerfully submit
10 il again. know I would not give
my Eve weeks experience. as an edu-
cation for any i've years in my life.
What new aveuues Of thought and
life are entered by this open door 10
women! How expansive TO ones
.,ieas aud sympathies How
10 ones judgment and
elf reliance! Aud there certainly Is /
no sphere where woman. with her
'inluitiUns,n perceptions, aud logic !
NJ "cause," l. 80 much needed, or can
Ind better usr. No such opportunity |
Il afforded Ia all the realm Of justice |
inr woman tO stand side by side with |
nan aud prove herself pre- eminently |
what God pre-sminently intended she |
should he, "a helpmeet" for him. !
Nor Is Il too much 10 say Of our men,
nat rs a rule they are possessed with |
generous fairness towards Us Ia this |
rev role.
I was the first fOre-Woman Of q jury
q this district, though l think not |
n the Territory. Mrs. Graves and /
,thers also filled this position at the |
anne term several ladies have Occu- |
lied thit position since. Perhaps 1 |
lhOuld say that a. the county Conven- /
ion did not meet between the time Of
he passage Of the franchise bill and
April term Of court, this was = select
d jury, made by q man who. though
BOT IN full sympathy with the new /
departure, was DESTROYS Of having q
,OOd representation Of bis own wife
md mother. The result Of this Sc
ection was that some hundreds OF
-amblers aud prostitutes left town.
One of our most prominent lawyers /
-One who had objected 70 women on
me he objected on account
4 his clients. For himself, he bad
bought they might do well enough
N criminal cases. but confessed bis
TO see how they could do
nv Justice 10 civil cases but they
handled them IN such a way that he
vas astnuished. | believe among cur
awyers there Is but one opinion as 70
Fhat kind Of jurors women make
most excellent.
In October OF the same year. 1 was
member Of the grand jury also, and
know something Of It's demands aud
responsibilities Regarded simply as
m occupation, I did not like d rs well
a the other As an educating power,
believe they are about equal.
Seven ladies served on this jury,
nd that you may understand the
GENERAL satisfaction that prevailed,
i've the last clause but one Of our re-
.ort 90 that time:
The gtand jury have to report that
heir deliberations have been har-
nonious throughout, and that no OBJ
ecti0n can be made, 50 far ~ we have
'een able 90 see during the present
erm, 20 the association Of the male
nd female sex Ia the consideration Of