The Delawarean., 1901-02-02
EW|NC'S BILL
IN COMMITTEE.
Not Much Concern Being
Given the Severe Measure.
WOMEN AT THE WHIPPING POST.
The Ewing Bill, Now in the Home.
proposes to go Back Fifty Years
and Whip Them.

lhe Ewing bill for the prevention OF
misunderstanding, the only measure in
troduced i'm Delaware halls of lee,sla-
lion In 80 years calling for the floggine
OF women, stripped to the waist ait the
wnapping-posts of this State, came IN
again in the House Thursday after
noon lit was brought up ON its second
reading by the call of Representntivs
Fuank T. Ewing of Rockland. tine faith
er of the bill, who is using every effort
to have the bill pass both Houses.
When the bill was called up by MIR
Ewing and Speaker MoComImons of tbs
House, ordered it read a second tims
by title
AN act for THE punishment of hus-
BAND beaters,' theme was the c,lsto-
mary tlt;er THAT usually follows any
announcement of this bill as ii goes
Through the regular channels.
Gentlemen, said Speaker NLcCom-
mons, this lis the second reading OF
House bill, No. 6S, and it lis referred
to the Committee ON Crimes and Pun
iShments.' .
"Hoqse Bill, No. 6S,' is, in full, as
follows.
"Section 1-That if amy person, be-
ing the wife of amy man, Shall by
physical violence abuse, maltreat or
beat her husband, she shall be deemed
guilty of a misdtmeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be punished
by being whipped at ,he wIhlpping-post
with not less than five lashes nor more
than thirty lashes, by THE sheriff OF the
county in which said crime is commit
ted; or by the husband, a. his selec-
tion.
Section 2-That all acts or parts OF
acts inconsistent with this act be and
,ney are hereby repealed.
Section 3-That this shall be
deemed and taken to be public act
The Commit zee ON Grimes and Pun
ishments consists of Messrs. Chandler,
Short, Flinn, Hclcomb and Warren
NotwIh his anding Mr.. Ewing's vigorous
advocacy, this commiuue,e may report
the bill back unfavorably If SO, that
will end its career in the House.
Representative William Chandler,
chairman of The Grimes and Punish
mems Committee was asked Thursday
his opinion of the bill and replied:
I'VE shall call the committee to-
gether and consider the measure if the
member introducing it fnsiss upon it,
and may even refer it ito THE floor of
the House without reeommendation for
argument, but THAT, i think is as far
as can say. Personally, l don't think
we want any such laws es that ON our
statute books.
Representative Shadraoh Short, of
the committee, said Il Thought that
bill had gone as far as ut was intended.
I don't think we can afford to send
women TO the whipping-posE. Bad
enough to send them to Jail"
Representative E. w. Warren, an
other committeeman, also expressed
doubt about THE Wisdom of THE matter.
Attorney General H. H. Ward, who
was on the floor of the House in the
afternoon had good laugh when the
matter came up in the Huse.
ga woman. has NOT been whipped in
Delaware since 1850, believe" said
ATTORNEY General Ward. They are
excepted from the rigors of the whip
ping-post The last ones whipped, just
before the fifties, I think were runa-
way slaves"
| IGeneTial Ward Thought tine matter a
good joke. Representative Hardesty,
the handsome Kent county member on
THE Democratic side, had q hearty
laugh and he used it Ito a good ad-
vantage as he thought of how ridicu-
lous lit would be to see man stand up
with -at-o-nine tiails In his hand,
chastising in public a woman nanacled
to an instrument of torture like the
whipping-post. '. rS