The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-26

who may take advantage of their own
wrong and escape punishment in The
form of action by showing to the Judge
and jury that their articles were success
| full in leading their victims into error "
The blame of a MUTUAL fault" says
the law of North Carolina when man
of 20. or 80, or 40 entices a, girl IA! And
suppose a girl is enticed into this thing
about which she probably knows next to
nothing. Suppose, as is often the case,
that she is enticcd into a house of ill
fame without her knowledge. Who will
believe her story if she should escape ?
When woman is outraged, by fraud
or force, her sworn testimony weighs
nothing agnst the lightest word OF the
man who perpetrated the crime"
/ have not time to talk of the protec-
ton of our boys against the wlles of
either young women or old women. That
would be a good subject for separate dis
cussion. What has been said is suffi-
cient to show that the boys are now en-
couraged by the laws to lead immoral
lives. / understand that there is North
Carolina law which makes it a INSIDE
meanor for a "lewd woman or woman of
ilI-fame" to have Sexual intercourse
with a minor student at college or
boarding school within three miles of the
school" Why not enforce that law and
why not extend it?
But, says some one. we must take hui
man nature as We find tive cannot
make people virtuous by legislation. 1t
seems that we can make hogs of them by
lack of it. We cannot make people viz
tuous by making them wear clothes, but
we can lessen immortality by it. In the
same way we can throw safeguards about
our little children, our boys and girls.
that will lessen immortality and not place
a premium on lust. HAVING so
FRAMED THE LAWS OF THE STATE
AND OF SOCIETY THAT A BOY OR
MAN IS ENCOURAGED TO CULTI-
VATE HIS ANIMAL PASSIONS, WE
TURN AROUND AND POINT TO
THESE WELL DEVELOPED PAS
|SIONS AS AN EXCUSE FOR THE Elk
ISTING LAWS. The air of a room with
many people in it, though fresh and pure
at first, soon becomes foul without VEN
tilation; yet the majority of those in the
room are not aware of the poison they
are breathing. Likewise, We have
breathed this foul air of legislation so
long, VIC are so stepped in ignorance and
Indifference, that we fail to realize the
fearful meaning of such laws. The fresh
air needs to be let in, the public con-
science needs to be aroused.
What can We do about it? may be
asked As I have said, we can combine
and have defective laws remedied. We
can systematically work to enlighten the
people OF North Carolina on the subject.
and we need the help of every man in
the State who wishes to- see the virtue
of our women protected, and our little
boys and girls shielded from the wiles Of
evil-doers We propose to establish the
White Cross in every town, city, village
and community in North Carolina where
it can find a foothold. Will YOU help
the work? The greatest possible COM
pliment paid the White Cross and
similar societies is that they are bitterly
opposed by bawdy-house keepers every
where's
l have been told that no jury in North
Carolina would, even if the laws were
bettered, convict man if the girl of Is
or / 6could not prove rape. l do not be-
lieve it. If so, it is a grave reflection on
North Carolina juries, and it shows the
need of awakening the public conscience.
Until our laws about these matters are
bettered the law of the shot gun and of
to, if the law cannot be- changed. But
the law can be changed. A North Caro-
lima jury will not convict man who
entices 14-year old girl to ruin and the
same jury will not convict the father
who shoots the man for running her.
Which one deserves conviction? One Of
them, certainly. In the name of reason
and the future welfare of our State, if
man will give vent to his passions, he
can find, alas, plenty of grown and we'll
matured women in houses of ill fame, on
whom he can crafty his lust, without
running young girls and enticing them to
a step which is LITERALLY FILLING
HOUSES OF PROSTITUTION all over
our land The foundation stone of our
civilization is the purity of our women.
When that decays we fall. AS our laws
are made by men, it is not only our privi-
lege but our duty to see that every safe
guard is thrown around our women and
mothers Of the next generation.
1 appeal to you, my fellow citizens, in
the name of your mothers, and in the
name of your wives and your sisters; /
appeal to every one here who has a lit
tie daughter or little niece or little cousin
or little friend; l appeal to our Anglo
Saxon chivalry and our boosted claim
that American women are the freest and
best protected in the world; | appeal to
your manhood and to your sense of the
pitiful helplessness of those whom it is
our sweet privilege to, love, honor, cherish
and protect; l appeal to you in the name
of the great Master and Leader of all
good, the Christ who said, Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they shall see
God, TO set your faces like flint against
this wrong and give your active sid and
encouragement in wiping out this foul
blot from our statute books! The slave
block, where the bodies, and sometimes
the souls, of the slaves were put up at
auction, was hdeous enough Shall we