Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-03-01
The Age of Consent.

feated by the house. Its passage by /
the senate raised storm Of indigna-
ton all over the state. The Senators
who voted for the bill, in defense of
their action, say that as they under
stood the bill, it reduced the age of /
consent from 18 to Is years, and per
mitted the defendent, in case of a !
charge of rape being made against |
him, to offer testimony to establish !
the bad character of the girl over u
years of age, who brings the
charge against him.
The probability is that the Senate
had no deliberate intention to break
down the legal safe guards thrown
around young girls, but meant to
amend the present law where they
thought it needed amending. Below
we give few of the comments made
on both sides Of the question:
''Members Of the Senate, who are
responsible for the consent bill which
1t passed. but which the House de-
feated, are naturally inclined to COM
plain because of the hard talk which
the bill has created. These Sena-
tors are among the best men In the
state, and the last who would give a
vote to break down any of the safe
guards to purity and public morals
They say, and the best judges in the
district courts of the state sustain
them, that the law as it now stands
is a great outrage, and that young
men are in the penitentiary on the
testimony of women of bad character
under Is years of age, because under
! this law, it is not competent for the
accused to prove that the girls are
abandoned women and were 50 recOg-
nized by their victims. The amended
/ law was intended to permit the &C
I cused, In such cases, to offer testi-
mOny to establish the bad character
of women who cause the arraignment
of men and boys for rape. The word
| ing of the bill is unfortunate. but it is
evident that its purpose is to make Is
the age of consent and to declare
that no testimony of bad character
/ can be received against a female I'M
der II years of age."-Le0Ceq1cortII
Times.
Everybody recognizes the defects
of the present law, and if the senate
bill had not reduced the cage Of con
sent no one. we think, would have
objected to the other proposed
changes. -AtcbjSOIl Champion.
The brief report of the purport OF
the bill, reducing the age of consent
from Is to u years; but for girls OF
good repute Is years." was the first
Intlmation the people of the state haC
that action of this kind was desired
by any one, and a tumult of indIgna
ton was aroused.
J The only argument that has beer
brought to bear on this question t.
sustain the action of the senate il
that designing girls may plan TX
wrong innocent boys. This prOfOunC
, reasoning has been brought forward
by professional men more than once
but, Mr.. Editor, proof is what we de
mand, and if those who are haunted
1 by fear of harm to boys will point t.
3 one such who is suffering the penalt,
r because of any scheme on the part o
o depraved woman, we will be content
= Unfortunately nearly all such boy
e have gray hair.
g The best protection for boys is pro
lection for girls. Nothing could en-
- courage laxity of morals among boy
! more than the action of our senat
u which virtually says that on delibere
g ton, it is their judgement that girl
Il of u are suitable prey for boys an
|; men alike.
= The clause ''Of good repute, -. Nigh
7 as well be eliminated, as a breath,
suspicion, will destroy any girls reI
y utation. FANNY H. RAsTALL,
X Pres. Kan. W. q. T. u.
The English language fails to fu
nish words that will express the col
- tempt due a body that would pas
such an outrageous measure. In til
W name of common decency! what dot
t. a little u years of age know of tt
d awful sin she would commit or its r
10 suits? She can probably repeat tt
decalogue, but how many of the con
70 mandments does she understand
is Ordinarily, a child of II years is
SIS guiltless as one at six, and yet Il
r. members of the senate of the Kansj
- legislature would make it possible e
her to be led into the deepest GRIN
Us and throw the protection of the Ia
around the beast who would deba
OF her.
"A Only two years ago the Iegislatu
~ raised the age Of consent to Is yeal
ID, and was commended by the emit
IS United States for so doing. No
Sc this legislature seeks to lower the ag
and should the members of the hou
concur, it viii be a fatal blight on Il
state Om0n'S Tribune.
or
be A newspaper or individual who h
ne the temerity to express an Opini,
croohor infanen anita cncr1ier1n IN