The Washington times., 1895-02-18
tween the Ladies' Matinee Musicale and the
Laundry Girls Union, Mrs. Sewall said:


Laundry Girls Union, Mrs. Sewall said:
COMMON INTERESTS.
f'The ladies of the matinee musicale and the
working girls. the laundresses, in their
union. are equally interested In having the
streets Of the city in which they live kept
cleanly. in having the morals of the city in
which they live purified, in trying to establish
a common moral standard for men and wo-
men. They are equally interested in the
sanitation of the city: they are equally in
terested in municipal government, and those
women belonging apparently TO such diff
ferent classes. have proved themselves to be
equally interested in these measures by tax
ing an Equal share in their promotion"
Describing the results obtained by the
Indianapolis local council, Mrs SeWall said:
'It has taken the only method of redress
that women yet have. The local council OF
indianapolis has this winter issued letter
to every member of the legislative assembly
now n session at the Capital, ating its
| membership and indicating four lines OF
work to which il wished the assembly TO give
some attention. From authentic sources the
council learned that of more than 400 licensed
| saloons in Indianapolis more than 70
| per cent. maintained unlicensed wine rooms:
] that in fact. in numerous instances the un-
! licensed wine room is the chief source Of
! revenue 10 the saloon-keeprr and the chief
{ SGEl oil Qsal3tr 10 lUG community: therefore
| the local council has asked from the general
assembly such modification of the present
| statutes concerning the sale OF liquors as will
/ exterminate tho wine room.
WAR on THE SLOT MACHINES.
''The council has also learned Of the almost
incredible patronage which the slot machines
receive from children and youth of both
sexes, and it has asked for such modiAea-
1 ton of the present statutes concerning gamb-
ling as may be necessary to exterminate the
slot machine nuisance. 1t also has asked for
such a modification of the statutes relating to
the 'cognizance and care of criminals as will
assure a police matron in every station-house
where girls or women may be taken, and a
! jail matron in every Jail where girls or women
/ pending examination or trial may he tempo
rarity held. Ii also asks for statutes that will
| secure medical attendance from practition-
ers OF their own sex TO women confined in
] asylums for the insane, and for all other I'M
| fortunate classes under the care Of the State.
'tIhe local Council of Women, represent
ing an individual membership of 5000, has
I tins brought its influence to bear directly
upon the general assembly OF Indiana. from
| which 1t viii doubtless get police matron
bill which viii secure police matrons in every
city containing population of 10000 or
more.
upon another question the local council
hes also brought its influence to bear. Be-
! fore the general assembly of Indiana, as be-
fore the legislature of most States in recent
years. there has come up a bill entitled, "a
| bill regulating the age of consent" The age
Of consent in Indiana is now fourteen years.
The bill proposed to raise the age to eighteen
years An amendment was introduced to
change eighteen 10 sixteen. Immediately the
! local council presented a letter containing
two important clauses, as follows:
First, the local council of Indianapolis
comprising fifty distinct organizations. with
an individual membership of 5000 women
protests against the proposition TO amend
the peuding bill by changing the word
eighteen TO sixteen believing that eigh.
teen years should be the lowest time fixed as
the age of consent.
Second, the local council. being not less
interested in the virtue OF young men than in
the virtue of young women, appeals to the
committee in charge of this bill to add thereto
& second clause. making it penal offense foi
q woman to solicit boys under the age Of
| eighteen years.