The sun., 1902-12-02
BILL TO PUNISH ADULTERY.
SUPPORTERS or 1T nom 4
VERY SMALL MEETING.
Vote ~ Albany Wanted--Ex.Gov. Camp
bell Tells Of Eject Of Such q Law
In OhiO-Mrs. Grannis Explains How
She Once Got 10 See Gov. Hill.

bell Tells OF Enect OF such q Law
In OhlO-Mrs. Grannis Explains How
She Once Got 10 See Gov. Hill.
About thirty-fve women and seven men,
three Of whom were speakers. were present
yesterday afternoon al the public meeting
held bv the Womans Anti-Vice Committee
In the Friends Seminary in East Sixteenth
street. TO push the bill introduced at many
successive sessions of the State Legislature
making adultery In this State punishable
as a misdemeanor.
The bin is TO be introduced this year by
Senat or Ellsworth Senator O'Connor intro
duced II last year. This year it is the hope Of
the Woman's Anti-Vice Committee. led by
Mrs. Elizabeth Grannis and also Of the
social purity leagues. To prevent it from
dying in committee. and make the lcgis-
lators vote on IL and go on record.
Addresses were made by the Rev Dr.
Henry A. St!n son of the Manhattan Con-
gregational Church, former Governor
Campbell Of Ohio and the Rcv. John II.
Elliott of the West Thirty-fourth Street
Reformed Church. who recently married
Florence Burns to Charles W. Wildrick
were the speakers. Mrs. Grannis ex-
planned the small attendance by saying
that lot Of women, although in sympathy
WIN Ine movement ana members OI the
committee. were afraid TO come. So were
good many men. she said. Mrs. Grannis
offered a PRAYER for the preservation of
the home and the passage of the BILL and
then DR. Stirson spoke;
The idea Of purity is by no means primal
in life." he said. 1T is largely matter
of education. No one, however, imagines
because IA certain rank in society is high
hat iS al
This is shown in all the courts of Europe
from the beginning of history down to the
present time. Virtue is the personal ac-
quiromt nj Of the individual and can be lost
the moment the struggle for 1t relaxes
There is practically no expression in our
American legislation of the evil to the COM
murity of martial nfidelity. People cant
b. made moral by law. just as liberty
must be the product Of the community
itself, so personal purity must be the act
OF the uINidual: but il can be protected
when laws are directed to it.
Mr.. Campbell said he had spent a good
deal Of time in New York and had heard
great many surprising things. The
mcst surprising of these was that the great
Empire State had never had any statute
attempting To punish immortality in
the marital relation. Only Delaware and
Louis lana enjoyed this distinction with
New York.
Il can understand it in those States
he said, because they have a rural popu-
lation; but here 1t Ii more nece ssary be-
cause Of the large urban population In
the country they usually tar and feather
a man who is caught living with another
mans wife. Out in Ohio We have had a
law for seventy-one years punlshing i'm
morality in the married state, and out Of
IL as we'll. ! dine with DR.. Stinlson when
he says men can't be made moral by law.
When you make laws and the sentiment
Of society believes in their execution then
the people will comply with them"
Mr. Campbell then told his audience
years he had prac,ised law there, he had
never known personally of an infraction
Of the law against adultery. and while he
was Prosecuting Attorney Of a county Of
made TO him. That showed, he said, the
deterring force Of the law You can't
prevent adultery. by passing a law at
Albany, he said, but you'll make the
corner mighty uncomfortable by knowing
that he can be sent to Jail. I've been a
politician all my life ana ] say now that
If the politicians go TO the people they
won't dare TO vote against this bill. even
though they represent the slum districts.
for the people are honest and moral, This
crime doesn't exist in the middle class, but
among the people who have named them
selves the smart set-the leisure, class
and also among the lower bestial elements.
II there is any excuse 1t Is for the latter,
none for the former"
DR.. Elliott said tl.at he was glad TO prove
by his presence that he wasn't afraid 70
come to the meeting. A great many PERSONS
including some ministers lie said believed
In CLOSING over questions involved | n the
Seventh Commandment. The hardest
sermon ! ever preached was one on the
Seventh Commandment. but / felt good
after it, said he. From mir isters down
we're set Of arTant towards. Wore afraid
to speak out This very audience shows
that a lot Of people have been scared. It's
shame. | know men pretty well. So
do some Of you married women. You ard
] know what goes on. This reform will
come when the mothers get stirred mp.
believe most heartily in right Gus laws
Mrs. Grannis said that she lad been
working OF the bill for seven years and that
she prospect this year was brighter than
ever.
-To-day," said she, thousands of wicked
men are bringing women TO New York,
which is their House Of Refuge because Of
the laws in all other States. A worse form
of Mormonism L. practised here than il
any other place in the country, without
excepting Utah
Mrs. Grannis then told the women to
write to the men at Albany Use only
your initials ard ther they won't know
your sex." she said. Il got to see Gov.
Hill this wav once. He thought ] was a
minister. Ther won't ray any attention to
you if they s'e by your name that you're
woman.
Mrs. Grapns asked for those desirin 9
women left came fo' ward, and the meetir Q
dishanded. The next meeting TO push the
bill, Mrs. Grannis said, would be held In
BROOKLYN