The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09
THE CAUSE OF WOMEN.
MRS. ELLEN JoHSsoN's Work As a
pBACTICAL PRISON REFORMER.


womcp's Consideration of Some
of Its Women Taxpayers.
Tn, sudden death at the International Coun.
oil Of Mrs Ellen {. Johnson. SUPERINTENDENT OF
,,he Eeformatory Prison for Women at Sher-
,,,, Mass f. n cause Of regret to the friends
n, humane prison methods all over the world.
Ths Sherbcrn prison. ~ conducted by her.
was regarded as a model. not only In TINS coun-
try but abroad. and its methods have been
,tioIv copied Tho women under her care
,.r. graded and were advanced from grade
D., Grade for good behavior each advance be.
ING marked by Sigh. change in dress and an
Increase IN material comforts. No royal deco
r,,Io,,.was ever worn ulth.more pride than the
,ci rihhon pinned to the dress Of those prison
a., who had never Incurred n punishment
MIR, johnson would not lot any OF the girls
foil Lsr their history. even when they wished
10 do So. Her theory was that with their en-
trerre tD tho prison new life should begin
O., them. and the bad pnst should he put be-
hind them out of sigh. \ strong believer In
outdaJr lie aud a lover OF animals. she sur
y.uu led tho prison with n farm. II had an
eyrr'reyt effect on the women to cultivate the
i.,I and 70 tend the horses. cows. hens and
,lacp one Of the most violent and intracta-
l,e women was transformed into n model pris-
c,rrtn bring lip hy hahd She grew so fond OF
,h, tile creature that the fear OF being parted
,r,r (, made her perfectly obedient, and she
t.rne in admirable dairy worker. Tho
more Trustworthy women were allowed to go
M, N ticket Of leave" system. and the ma
,ority we're permanently reformed
Mrs Johusons management was as wise
financially ns morally The farm in one year
yielird more than $1,000 Of farm produce.
.,rulying the prisoners with much OF their
food and largely reducing the cost OF tho
,risop to the State. The dairy. the laundry
anil he sewing room were all sources OF rev.
enue anl.uf late wears silk culture had been
added Whom asked how she managed the
prison 50 successfully. Mrs. Johnson answered:
Ius, "a | managed my home. 1t is the ex
t.nsInu and enlargement OF domestic system
md The aup'icd principles OF domestic econo-
N.Y. Like Clara Barton her predecessor as
hauI Of The Sherhorn prison. Mrs. John.
.,p believed in woman suffrage, despite her
lgrcs experience among bad women Only
, short time before her death she addressed an
emnl suffrage meeting in Boston arranged
hynsr friend. Mrs Iivermoro, II Is long since
the death OF any woman has called out SO gem
era tribute Of ails 'tion and regret
Three v1meu-Mrs Emmons Blaine. her
niche, Mrs Nettie F. Mccormick. and a Mrs.
Mary S,ur.es haze filed with the assessors
the largest individual schedules Of personal
property in Chicago. According to the Chi
cogo uauers this is not because these women
srr richer than any of the male millionaires.
hut lscajloa they are more honest and have
made a true rapport Of their taxable property.
let Prof. Harry rhurston Peck says women
are born without the capacity for civic SELL
devotion" 1t is n pity that the Illinois l.egs-
l.,1lN 1Ntt
vote IN questions Of taxation. Such women as
thss" certainly deserve vote as much as inc
male tag dodgers
The Congress Of Reformers a. Buffalo has
PASSED A unanimous resolution in favor of wo-
man suffrage The fact is the more noteworthy
iua-mucn u this congress was. made ND OF re-
formers Of every Imaginable stripe. All were
united in wishing 10 make the world better.
tut It might have been supposed that they
would Ind 1t almost impossible to agree unan-
n.uuslv on any one thing as likely to promote
tina. end. The congress. besides some mere
''cranks." included many men of real distinc-
lion IN their various limos. One. at least. OF
these MAJOR Jones OF Toledo. is a friend OF
equal suffrage in deeds as well as IN words. Tor
he contributes to the treasury Of the National
Suffrage Association.
tie last fiscal ysar are lust published. Inc
number Ct persons convicted in courts OF rec
iIi Wits BON oil WIOIn W. were WOulou 1 ITO
number OF persons convicted in Special ses-
slons courts was 43,oh1. OF whom 5000 were
women Vas It not Bishop Doane who said
that il equal suffrage wore granted, 70 tho
Not. of every criminal man you would add tho
vote OF Il criminal woman
After reading the ti-suffroRs paper by Mrs.
Francis Scott and Mrs. j. Elliot CABOT, read
before the Women International Council and
published in last Sundays Sun. we cam ot
wonder that it was received with derisve
Laughter. While written in all seriousness. II
Is in substance extremely funny. 1t says
Tho ballot implies military service. polics
duty. Jury duty. the holding of public Office
de.
Military and polce duty are not required oil
women in any OF the States where women vote
In most Of these States women are also ex-
emit from jury dutv which. personally.
think they ought not to be. Doctors. lawyers
ministers and about twenty other classes oil
men are exempt from Jury duty. without on
that account being excluded from suffrage
n.l It would lie reasonable that the mothers o.
young families should he exempt also. But
there arc more women Of leisure than mon o.
leisure. and there seems no valid reason why
sons women should not occasionally serve
their country in this way. The late Mrs. ABBY
I!oprer Gibbons was strongly of this opinion
she was on the tax list az A. II. Gibbons ant
one day she GOT a notice calling upon her tC
Elbow cause why she should not serve on tn,
g',r,. She wrO.e back that she supposed sh,
was exempt on account OF her age. being owe
S.; but that sho knew of no other reason WHY
III" should not serve No one will question
thai she would have been more intcligen
Juror than some Of those We now have.
Il l. ira, osteruus to say that the ballot i'm
I,lr, military and police duty, when We al
know that thousands Of men ineligible I,
e'her are freely admitted to the ballot box
~ lrCUOsa to limit suffrage to men capab
ofrrnderiuG military service would be stcnet
L. fora moment
l-!lher the ability to bear arms is a neces
Sary qualification for suffrage or it Ia not. !
i is, tie men who lack it ought.to he excluded
!. f. Is hot. the lack Of it is no reason for OK
culnE women. There is nc escape from tht
''loLsi,u.
rs or uolice duty. no man is forced TO sery
OF the police ont Of those who volunteer
Sufficient number are hired. and they are PAL
H'R tax money that il levied equally on tn
property Of men and women. only an inlni