The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-21
THE ..NEw woMAn.s. BLuNDER.


The new woman" had her way in Col
orado this year as she has never had 1t
anywhere before, but if report is true
she has made a mess of her own inter-
ests both from her own and the old
woman's standpoint. One of the things
upon which advanced women every
where seem to be agreed is that no MEM
Der of their sex under the age of eight
cen is of. sufficient wisdom and intelli-
gence to recognize and resist the base
ness of designing man. They hold that
she is a mere child until that time and
in need of especial legal protection
against the villain who is assumed to be
ever in pursuit of her with view to
her undoing. One of the first efforts
of the advanced woman, therefore, when
she gets her finger into politics, is to
secure legislation for the benefit of her
young and innocent sisters. Three
women were members of the Colorado
Legislature, and one of the few meas
ures they We're united upon was that
extending the law of protection to- in
clude maidens Of eighteen. The bill be-
came law. and the three female legis-
lators and their friends rejoiced greatly.
They pictured to themselves an army of
male monsters checked in their wanton
advance upon multitude of maids, and
their ears heard in fancy the hoarse cry
of baff1ed rage uttered by the villains.
The women plumed themselves greatly
upon this triumph of legislation, and
pointed out that until they came young
girls were at the mercy of the spoiler.
1t was a feather in the cap of the equal
suffragists and was waved with pride.
But, alas! Somehow or other, that law
was not worded right. Language is a
curious thing. and unless carefully ham
died is likely to express a very differ
eht meaning from that intended. Espe-
cially is this true of language used in
legal enactment. In the case in ques-
ton it showed peculiar depravity. In
stead of being a broadside against design
ing rascals,uit is now interpreted to mean
that any man marrying a girl under
eighteen commits a penitentiary offense.
This is dreadful, and the advanced Col
orado women. to say nothing of their
more retiring sisters, particularly the
young sisters, are terribly shocked. For
the new woman, even in Colorado, has
not yet reached the point of wishing to
abolish marriage. She desires to marry
early, and, If occasion require, often.
So far from looking with displeasure
upon the man who shows a disposition
to marry, she regards him as an orrla-
ment to his sex and a creature to be
offered every encouragement. If his
fancy happen to fall upon maid of
seventeen, a straw is not to be laid in
y, ic r,o$ n I.rf ha icr tn he Jal
gently until he is surely won. For,
though slight Inconsistency may exist
in her views upon the matter, the new
woman holds that while girl of eight
cen does not know enough to defend
herself against the Vaccinations of a
bold, bad man, any girl knows enough
to marry. But now, If man marries in
Colorado, he is in danger of going to the
penitentiary. There is a chance of es-
cape for the sisters yet; the Governor
has not signed the bill, and the women
who pushed 1t and voted for it are be-
seeching him not to do so. If he is OBJ
durate and will do it. it will be a sad
blow to the suffrage cause, to say moth
ing Of the matrimonial prospects of Col
orado's young women. No woman will
ever be trusted in the Legislature of
that State again, and ever, If the three
ex-members seek to hide themselves in
another commonwealth the stigma of
their evil deed will follow them No
woman, however advanced. can put a
stumbling block In the pathway of the
already too slow-moving marrying man
without suffering severe penalty
civ1s Ia nd fyfcfiT