Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-01-21
THE NEW WOMAN.
Was 1t Maudlin Sympathy or Only P1ai1
.Tuatioe7


Justice7
If we are to judge from some editors
ais In New York newspapers, it would
have given the writers the greatest
| pleasure to see poor Maria Barberi die
| in the electrical chair. You remember
about her. the ignorant Italian girl who
revenged herself after the fashion Of the
| women Of her native land for the great
est wrong that can be done to woman.
She killed Domenicc Cataldo do not
!, believe in killing, but if anybody ever
| deserved it be did. Maria was tried, lay
| in prison a year, was retired and ac-
quilted on the ground that she was sub.
ject to physical epilepsy and there
fore not responsible. The real reason
was those h0lsest jurors, men with sis
ters and daughters of their own, thought
in their hearts she had served Cataldo
right. He had certainly treated her with
brutality, insult and heartlessness that
| justified anything except killing But
after her acquittal various New York
editors took occasion to jeer at what
they called the maudlin sympathy Of
the court and the public. One went so
far as to say that it was another illus
tration of the fact that no woman could
be executed in New York He was quite
forgetful of the fact that few years
ago Mrs. Druse was hanged for killing
her husband, though she had undoubt-
eddy been made insane by his cruelty
before she did it. The bachelor governor
Of New York, now Senator David B.
Hill, stolidly refused to interfere in her
behalf and save her life, though over
whelmed with petitions to do SO. Evil
IDENTIFY there is no "maudlin sympathy"
for women in the breast Of Mr.. Hill.
But, seriously and truly, have men the
right to hang any woman at all? They
have not A woman has no voice in
making the laws. She has no vote in the
election Of men that make them. She is
never under any circumstances tried by
a jury of her peers. She is tried by
jury of men. Her life is argued for pro
and con under laws she never consented
to obey. Under these circumstances it
is murder, and nothing less, when a
woman is executed judicially. It is not
an expression of maudlin sympathy or
sentiment of any kind when men jurors
refuse to convict woman. It is simple
justice.
A European correspondent, comment
ing on the kleptomaniacal scandal in re-
gard to Mrs. Castle, says there is be-
lief among London shopkeepers that
American women are given, more or
less, to taking articles from stores--in
brief, stealing them. They see the beau
tiful things, want them and cannot re-
sist slyly snatching them and making
off with them. Men are not accused of
doing SO, only women. If SO, it is a mis-
fortune and disgrace. But, if SO, again,
it is directly traceable to the fact that
women have little money of their own.
Like the slave, they steal what they
cannot get otherwise. If they had reg
ular sum of money of their own by way
Of an allowance, they would be honester.
The respectable woman shoplifters are
not the ones who earn and spend their
own money. They are those who are de-
pendent.
When young woman comes out"
in society, it is notice to all the world
that she is in the market to get nus
band. Else why should young woman
any more than young man have de-
but?
Miss Anita Hetherington Haggerty,
attorney at law in New York, is one Of
the lecturers before the women's law
class in the University of New York.
Miss Helen Varick Boswell, the Re-
publican women's club organizer of
New York, has instructed many men on
how to vote the blanket ballot.
Sometimes, when one thinks about it,
it is hard to see why women are born.
They certainly would not be if they had
anything to say in the matter. The bat
tie they have had to fight even to be per-
mitted to ride bicycle, for one thing,
takes more courage than it did to raise
the standard of revolution in Cuba.
Worst of all, the fight is not yet over. A
young lady teacher in New York city
rode to school on her bicycle, as she did
occasionally. This time, however, she
could not Immediately find the key to
the teachers dressing room. At the
same time she heard an uproar among
the boys in her classroom She hurried
to quell it, not remembering in her haste
that she was still wearing her bicycle
dress. It was not a bloomer suit. 1t had
the conventional skirt women wear on
the wheel. But her appearance in the
room raised howl among the hoodlum
boys. "Bloomersl Take 'em off p roared
the young savages, and in a moment
there was something very like mob.
She stood her ground pluckily, however,
and restored order. The hoodlum boys
went away and reported that she had
taught school in bloomer costume, which
story there was not word Of truth in.
It was carried to the masculine princi-
pal, however. He inquired into it and
learned exactly the straight of it. But
this broad minded, chivalrous and wise
male man. instead of defending his
teacher, sent word to the city superin-
tendent asking if he should dismiss her.
The hoodlum boys were the ones who
made the row and circulated the false
hood, but the principal inquired whether
he should dismiss the teacher
Mrs. II. W. r. Strong, the famous
ranchwoman Of Los Angeles, who is the
pioneer Of pampas plume raising in
America, is noble example of how
woman who sets her head to it can make
fortune. To will persistently, never
weakening for moment, at the same
time using ones brains to take advan-
tage of every opportunity that comes, is
the way to succeed. 1t was said long
ago, 'sTo him who wills ways will not
be wanting. It is as true as truth itself
Mrs. D. Fl. Marsh has been elected
president of the First National bank Of
Groton, N. Y.
ELIZA ARcHARD CONNER.
Potatoes,
Tomatoes Melons CABBAGE