St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-24

character DyfalSe testimony in court.
He had introduced the bill years
ago raising the age of consent from
ten to sixteen years. He wanted no
exemption made in a law. He said
that, as far as the age of consent is
raised, the law should make no dis
tinction for moral qualities or other
cause.
Senator Morgan, again speaking
on the subject, declared that one
half of the prostitutes in Mime
apolis and ST. Paul are under eigh-
teen years of age. Many of them are
subjects of barter and sale by their
parents. The passage of the bill
would put a weapon in the hands of
INSCRIPTIONS persons to levy black
mail.
Senator Howard made the point
that the amendment proposed to pro-
tect against such cases.
Senator Morgan-Yes, you would
make it a question of disputed fact.
Several Interruptions were made
to Senator Morgan's speech, which
resulted in a ruling that the amend
ments to the bill were under consid-
GRAFTON and not the motion to in
definitely postpone, made by Senator
Morgan when Interruptions to his
speech occurred.
Senator Wyman proposed amend
mentS to the effect that the present
law should remain unchanged as to
boys and girls under eighteen years
of age, and to still raise the age of
consent to eighteen years in cases
of females.
Senator Culkin made the point that
If a girl was married under the age
of eighteen her husband should go
to the penitentiary.
Senator Stevens said that would
seem to be true in case the wife did
not consent to the cohabitation.
Senator Wyman withdrew his
amendments, and Senator Howard
spoke in favor of his amendments,
excepting unchaste females from the
effects of the bill. He spoke of the
human wretches who swarm the
streets to enSnare shop girls. He
claimed that, in this climate, girls
are not mature at sixteen years of
age.
Senator McHale blamed the lead
ers of society for much of the evil
that makes demand for such law
He would reform the lines of So
ciety so as to make it unpopular for
the wealthy man to keep mistresses
if he wants to be allowed in the So
cial circle. He did not favor rails
ing the age of consent where he had
helped to place it at sixteen years of
age. He wanted society reformed
SO as to exclude the traducers of fe-
males, bald-headed as they are, from
the social circle.
Senator Keller said he thought
the senate was not ready to pass
such bill. He said it would open
the way to blackmail. 1t would be
possible for tricky lawyers to open
batteries of blackmail. The newSpa-
perS would come out with flaming
headlines and the blackmailer would
either secure money or ruin families.
He said they are always after the
and galleries with laughter bya clos
ing statement to the effect that the
women had come to the senate to
meSmeriZe the senators and compel
them to vote for the bill.
Senator Sheehan said that the
country had been legislating for 1900
yearssfor boys, and now it is time to
begin legislation for the girls. He
favored the bill as being in the in
lterest5io of justice, humanity and de-
cency. If true, as claimed, that
! majority of prostitutes are under
eighteen years of age, it is because
they have been led astray, not by
boys, but by men of mature years.
1t was myth to say that girls in
short dresses are going about the
streets to entice the old bald-headed
men into evil.
The motion of indefinite postpone
ment was lost and the bill was
recommended to pass.