The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-04-16
PROVO CITY. APRIL IS, 1884
THE VERDICT.

The yer dict in the POllard-BreckC n
ridge case is genuine surprise to ua,
as we believe it will be to nine out of
every ten men who have read it. We
can have no complaint of the verdict as
regards Breckenridge. 1t is vastly in
adequate so far as his deserYings go.
1t should have been one hundred, in
stead of fifteen thousand dollars, with
ten wears in the penitentiary. But is
Madeline Pollard entitled to fifteen
thousand dollars or even fifteen cents2
She has shown herself brilliant'wo-
man, though wantoD, She was, as
the evidence shows, a woman of the
world, and bright one, before Breck-
enridge ever met her. She was no in-
experienced school girl. She was over
ten years old and no girl passes that
age, in any rank of life, but knows
when gentleman approaches her the
full significance of the act. She is
particeps cTiminis with Breckenridge.
They have both committed fearful
crime. They were both intelligent, free
moral agents and went into it, both,
with intelligent eyes wide open. A
maudlin sentiment justiies and re.
wards her while it Furnishes the man in
the case. The greatest injury growing
out of the case is 10 be laid at her door.
She it was who dragged the vile
bundle of a lAscivious life from the
hidden dens where it was placed, into
the broad open light of day, not
him. For this act the name of Made
line Pollard ought to be forever
covered in obloqny. What mass OF
evil has thus been done by her act will
possibly never be known. No one
knows how many girls of tender years
have read and been contaminated by
the recital of the lasciYious details.
Pollard knows all this yet was careless
of it, yet jury rewards her.
The verdict cannot be in any sense
made to do service as a vindication of
womanhood. God forbid it. 1t is said,
in justification, that there should be no
distinction between the man and the
woman In such matters. That's
beautiful theory but it is unreasonable
and it is against nature. A man may
err bu oil his home, his wife and her
babies be as pure as the snowdrifts upon
the summit Of the mountain peaks, but if
the woman errs the home nest Is be-
fouled. The blood of her children con-
tsminated at the very fountain head.
This is the difference and upon it are
based the social laws which hold the
woman the gulltier of the two.
breckenridge abomnible hypocrisy
coupled with his sin in this way goes
to make sum of villiny which is un.
pardonable from any standpoint you
may look at it. We have no pity for
him, no sympathy, no federation. He |
is altogether vile, but he is held &C |
countabla while his base partner in
crime is rewarded. Out upon that |
jury, Msdaline is encouraged to go on
in her course without reference as to
whom her future victims NAV be.
This is premium upon vice from
female point of view. They should
have been punished equally and pltti-
lessly. The circumstances of this fear
full crime and Its exposure should be
used to deter its future commission not
to encourage the woman while crush
ing the man. Keep the women end
the homes Of the people pure and such
vices as this will rarely be known. But
show liberation to the woman while
you behead the man and the vice VIII
rather than be Iessened.
A disgraceful punishment should be
meeted out to both, or even a capital
one. If such were the case the pas
sions which Breckenridge declared
were uncomfortable under certain cir {
,umstances,w would become tame enough
sfterwhile. d