Fitzgerald enterprise., 1905-08-01
WHY THIS DISCRIMINATION?


comparison of the effects of the exposure upon
the husband and the wife:
'The charges and counter charges of hus-
band and wife in this deplorable tragedy involve
the frequent and repeated infdelity OF both OF
them, not only to the marital relation. but to the
common decencics of life. For the alleged lnt-
deity of George Wright with Vince Sanford's
wife, Sanford openly and in the light of day shot
Wright to death in the open street with double
barreled shot gun loaded with buckshot 1t IS
the general opinion that if Sanford can success
fully establish what he evidently believes TO
have been the illicit relations between his wife
and Wright that not jury in Georgia can be
found to hang him. Georgia juries have IN
time past recognized the right OF man to Kill
the man who dishonored his bed.
Very well: Now then suppose Mrs. San
ford had killed the woman-any one OF the Wo-
men-with whom her husband is charged with
illicit relations? Suppose that Mrs. Sanford from
the proofs in her possession had taken double
barrelled shot gun, loaded it with buckshot, taxi
en- her position in the public street, and emptled
upon sight, both of it's deadly and death'dealing
barrels into the bosom of any one of the women
who had been with her husband?
WOulQ the georgia jury Nave DCcA dS ACAlSAI
to Mrs. Sanford as it undoubtedly will be to Mr..
Sanford? Would public opinion be as. kind and
charitable to Mrs. Sanford it undoubtedly
will be to Mr.. Sanford if he proves his case.
Would public opinion and social convention
take Mrs. Sanford kindly by the hand, congrat-
ulate her upon acquittal and receive her again
in social convention and in personal relation, as
it mos assuredly will take and receive Mr.. San
ford if that gentleman should escape the gallows!
Would the woman be treated like the man?
And if not why not?
The facts and conditions with which wehave
to deal are these: Mrs. Sanford by the records
in her possession, has as conclusive evldence-1n
fact more conclusive evidence of her husbands
nfdelity than he has of hers. The general
public will accept her records as conclusive OF
his infidelity If his facts given in evidence at
the trial are as conclusive as hers, the public will
fairly conclude that both are equally guilty.
Now how are the general public going to
treat the two in the future relations OF lliS!
That's the question.
There is not we'll informed reader OF The
News who does not perfectly understand that If
Vince Sanford is acquitted of the charge OF muir
der that he will resume his place among men
with little change in his relations. lie Will
mingle freely and on equal terms with his fellows.
An acquittal by the Floyd county jury next.
week, will restore Vince Sanford to a compara-
lively unchanged status among men.
Let us see what his acquittal will do to Mrs.
Sanford. 1t will stamp her as a scarlet woman.
1t will mark her pariah among her sex. 1t
will write the word ''unclean" upon her record,
and society will no more touch her than the
wholesome blooded Jew would touch the leper
of the East. The gates of societyare shut upon
her. She has no more the entry to the circles
where good women congregate. She may go to
the church, to the hospital or the cemetery, but
the women who recognize and deal with her
hereafter will do so in the whispered name of
charity and in the silences of the night. She is
stained forever, and her life is shamed, blight
ed and ruined thing, by the same record, which
rests like an evanescent summer cloud upon the
life and station of her husband.
Both equally guilty leave the bar of justice
and society. One of them goes back unbroken
to his own. The other goes out never again to
hold good woman's hand on equal terms this
side of the grave.
Was there ever more monstrous code than
the social statutes which decree this thing?
Was there ever more shameful lie flung by
social conventions into the face of just and,
merciful God?"
Today is the date set for the far-reaching
boycott against America organized by the mer-
chant guilds of China, to go into full effect,
&C TO.ao1 and