The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-04-28

(who exist for the most part in the pruri-
ent imaginations Of men) were to bring
a charge of this kind, the burden of
proof is placed upon the girl who brings
the charge and not upon the man who is
accused of the crime.
The law Of North Carolina says that a
girl under 81 years Of age cannot legally
dispose of her property; she cannot make
a contract that is binding as a contract.
The sale Of property and the contract
would be voidable. What is this? Be
cause the State thinks that on account
of her immaturity, undue influence may
be used on her. Her mind is not suf-
ficiently mature TO protect her prOperty
rights, and on account of ignorance or
lack of sufficient judgment she needs
some protecting hand. The State there
fore properly throws its protecting arm
around a girl in regard to such matters,
until she is 81.
Now, though the State holds that a girl
at IA cannot legally consent to sell one
| particle of her property, she may con-
sent to sell her virtue at IA. The State
holds that undue influence may be used,
| and that a girl is not sufficiently ma
ture to sell her property. at 10, but she
is mature enough, says the State, to re-
sist all influences, if such influences are
| used to ruin her, at IA. The State holds
that a girl must be protected at is from
being cnticed to sell one acre of land, be-
cause at that age she may be imposed on,
but it holds that she may be enticed to
sell her maidenhoOd at IA. The State of
North Carolina holds that a girl at II
has not sufficient maturity to part with
a pair of gloves for a consideration, and
it hold that at IA she has sufficient ma
turity to part with that without which
she is made an outcast by society-her
virtue.
The State of North Carolina holds that
at IS, - and 20, a girl is not sufficiently
developed mentally to make a contract
that is binding as such; that she has not
Yet reached the proper age for her to
legally consent to part with a town lot.
And the same State holds her sufficiently
developed morally, mentally and physjc-
ally to consent to a lustful crime at IA,
no matter what e~nticing influences are
| used, providing it is not a promise Of
marriage!
But the plea is raised that at IA many
girls know all about such matters"
But l challenge an intelligent contradict
ton to the statement that the very great
majority of girls do NOU know about
such matters at Ii. or Is or Is or II or
| even IS. The evidence for the correct
ness OF this statement is SO overwhelm-
ing as to be absolutely convincing to
any person of ordinary sanity. Aside
from experience. the reader is referred
to Traffic in Girls" every word of It.
The change in a girls life may come at
- or Is or IA. but that is no reason for
making any such ridiculous plea. Be
cause a girl can perform the womanly
functions at IA, is that any reason for
saying she knows what she is doing if
she allows herself to be enticed at that
| age, or at Is or II or, even IS? Her
| physical body may be Well developed at
IA or over, and for that very reason her
budding emotions may be strong. 1t is
the period when the girl has the strong
est emotions and the least control over
! herself. when her reasoning powers arc
not only undeveloped. but when the little
reason she has is clouded and swayed by