The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-07
THE AGE OF CONSENT.


We publish an appeal this morning
from the wife of member of the Twenty
fourth legislature, and as her name Is
not attached to the appeal we trust every
married man of that body will conclude
il is an appeal from his own wife.
Gentlemen, we again appeal to you,
MS yoicing the feeling of the noble women
of Texas, to advance the age OF consent
to the age of IS years. How can there
be an objection to such protection
thrown around the young girls of Texas
If there is any it must come from men
whom you depend upon for your political
positions whose lives are devoted to de-
bauching the purity Of the young girls
of the state. Do you, members of the
Twenty legislature dare to look
your wives and young daughters in the
face and admit that you are influenced
to oppose this measure because OF your
political aspirations? Such an admission
would cover you in the regard OF those
you best love with infamy. Oh, let no
such miserable object stain your soul
and degrade you in the regard of your
wives and daughters.
Listen to the noble wife who appeals to
YOU in the communication we publish
this morning signed "In the Name of the
Mothers of Texas" She says: 81 have
n husband in this Twenty-fourth lcgisla-
ture, while / know and feel very proud
of his good judgment in all things, if he
will be one to stand up like man when
the time comes, use his influence (and he
has more than he thinks) and vote for the
protection of girls until they are Is
years of age, shall crown him my king
and knight forever after"
Neither of you know that it is not your
wife who makes this appeal to you. To
be crowned "king and knight of such
noble woman is greater than to be
crowned king of an unruly people. This
is the greatest reward offered by n wife
to husband How his heart would swell
with bride rs that confiding head is laid
upon the bosom of her king and knight.
Will you not win the proud distinction and
sit in your wife's heart her crowned king
and knight, gentlemen of the Twenty
fourth legislature?
Every one of you are aware OF the
fact that between the ages of III years and
Is years of age the girls of this country
are subject to the greatest temptation
and are in the greatest danger. With pas
sions Just budding into vigor without
a knowledge of the deccitful ways of men
of the world, trusting and confding in
them in their youthful incXperience, more
girls between these ages are the victims
of base men than at any other age. How
can you say by your vote that Il girl at
IA years of age and after can give away
her virtue, the crown and glory of young
maidenhood, and not permit her to alien
ate one acre of her land, even if it is not
worth more than 50 an acre. We press
this inconsistency home to your conscicn-
ccs.
We appeal to you who will answer ut the
great white throne when you are ar
raigned to give an account for the deeds
done in the body We conjurc you to call
up the ghosts Of ruined maidens who in
that final judgment will accuse you of re-
fusing the small protection of legislative
enactment to their purity and indict you
there as the cause of its loss. But you
are not towards nor demagogucs. You
have been chosen by the people of this
state to throw around them and their fam
lilies, their sons and daughters, the strong
arm of the law to protect them from
the roaring lions who go about to seek
whom they may devCur and you have
the power to do it. Are you going TO
yield to the basenCss of political influence
to please ward bummers; are you too
cowardly 10 respect the wishes of your
mothers and wives, or are you like men.
brave men, ready to rise to the dignity
and strength of the occasion and throw
around the innocence and purity of this
state the sacred harness of the law to
protect il from disgrace and infamy?
We believe if you will only think of il
as your wives do you will not hesitate
to do SO and as an age of consent seems
necessary to be fixed, that you will fix it
at is years of age, the age when the
young women of the state are considered
free TO manage their own affairs. We be-
lieve you are brave men and will do il,
but we want to see the ayes and nays
called, so that we may give due credit TO
the names written on the roll of honor