Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-01-02


The Michigan L<1nistnrs = sessions
e',as ~ hAs been ouosse>t ~ psrsiefsnt
ienbses N fsvsr Of many different
tsn<1s Of oiiis, bss never vas ths pas.
ssgs Of gay BAL more pers,sssasiy and
snsas&sotiy sfgsa teas 80 - hsii
known -, the go II consent esli. .
In the Legislature q 1857. large lobby
81 izdiss nssnk in sstsadAaes spoa The
Sttlngs OF me nssmhsss; and appealing
10 thsm collectively and individually,
~ eli Tune. and IN every manner p~cu-
lar 10 the sen. % vote for the bill Ina
their efforts they were aided and ahet-
Esd bY quite = nunsbsr OF gentisuen.
VINO strongly IN their individual cspA-
city besougat the votes Of the Iegislx-
tors for the bill. There Was an admit
ted opinion amongst the msnabsrs OF
the Leg,slstare. that the then law
ought 10 be changed. bat there was =
deeidet opposition 10 the change asked
for By the lobby. and great was the frri.
tatlon and disgust Of the fair LOBBYISTS.
when they failed IN their never .tiring
efforts.
In the Kansas Legislature of the
same year bill. similar 10 the one in
me Michigan Legislature. was passed
and became the law OF KansAs. THIS
law has recently been before the su-
preme Court of that State for judicial
construction, and while holding
that the LAW Was rot uncon-
stitutional and void the court
strongly animadverted upon the pro-
visions OF the Law. In the course of Its
opinion the court sald: 1T iniilcts a
punishment of vastly greater
severity than was ever before inflicted
and much greater than the
punishment FOR the greater wrong
where the female is over Is years of
age. In attempting to provide for the
protection OF girls, il wholly overlooks
the projection OF boys. 1t overlooks
the tact that some girls under Is years
are incorrigibly wicked and dtprsved.
IL overlooks the fact that gIrls
generally, whether good or bad. have
intelligence and the capacity to think,
to will and TO act. long before they
arrive a. the age of Is years. 1t in eff
feet presupposes that boys of the same
age with girls, or even much Younger
than girls, are vastly their superlors in
mental capacity and IN the power
To exercise volition. 1t recognizes a
greater difference between the scxes
and a greater superiority on the part
of males owe. females, than has ever
before been promulgated, or admitted
or believed by any person OF set of per.
sons, although it has generally been
MAINTAINED mat there always have been
sufficient differences in the powers
privileges, disabilities and iumunitie.
which ~ girtue of laws, have hereto
fore .etween the sexes,
Instea- making the acts, of which
Lord Macaulay makes mention, a mis-
demeanor only, they are, if the female
Is under Is years of age, made high
crime and felony IS to the male, fol
which he may be imprisoned in the
penitentiary at hard labor for . perioc
of twenty-one years."
We presume that those who favored
such legis alton as WAS under consider
alton by the Kansas court will not relish
its remarks, as to the decomposition o.
the superior mental capacity of males
which such legislation implies, but such
is the fact nevertheless.
The killing OF this much sought legis
lation. and that alsd of some other
equally as much pressed in the session
of 1897, which was passed by the Legs
latures of other States, since declared
unconstitutional by the courts, de
monstrases that the Michigan Legis
latures have not been entirely in ths
wrong in all things, even though they
| w.ra Of IN. ssho ,riu,crp sDac,os