The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-03-05
Do Women Tell the Truth?

brought the question MP with am Old
Judge. a kiud old man who had long
years IF experience in the devious ways
in which human nature expresses itself.
al!s writer I'M AppictouS. The talk
fell upon tine subject of women a, Wit
ucsScE.
"RurcIy." he said, have | pushed
women into corner ma cross questioning
rs | would a man. because | learned
early IN nay experience that almost all
women would inevitably pcrJurc them
selves
asked him if tins applied to women
| of all classes
Yes" he replied, 'rew women can be
| trusted to tell the truth. When they
come on the witness stand they hay"
something that they want To prove.
something they want to hold back, or
ella" they want To state more than the
/ truth"
II suppose you mean by that that
women haven't Il SENSE of personal re
| SponSlbihty toward telling the facts of
| m" case the way the average man has,
] That women, IN fact, have no exact
sense Of honor. Suill it sr"v's To me there
| Is another SIDE 10 the case"
! | told him the story of the tenement
/ house inspectors, and the other things
! that have COME o. my notice. He Thought
! it over
Il think" he told me ut last. that
most of thcS' imperfect women witness
/ "S whom | have noticed would have b"ru
/ able 20 justify themselves perfectly for
| their back of truth telling They would
/ haze left all their me-, were told Tor some
| exemplary Reason. They felt inside
themselves thal the accused was unu-
| cent. aud they were willing Co lie To
! PROV" lc was, ur obey felt that the ac-
cuo'u WAS guilty. tuat hr had wrongcd
! some Innocent person. aud they were
willing a. stretch the truth or mlSrrprc-
! sent II, So justice might he done. In no
case did they regard themselves as sim
Ipiy tutb-trl.uG machines, who were
/ there for the purpose of giving the facts
ats they had seen thcm.
! Women he went on, las | have
seen them, will always prove to you at
/ length how they were perfectly justified
/ in having pursued the course which they
did. | have had women come up drunk
aud dlsordrriy' who would be glad To
tell you, II you would let them, long
| story as To how il was some other per
sons fault that they took 70 drink.
The idea that women are morally
superior to men is ingrained in them.
and they like TO keep up this appearance
even to themselves, SO they begin by not
/ telling themselves the truth as 20 why
they have done anything. that they
| should not; that Is why they can per
lure themselves, aud not call it a lie.
On the other hand taking a bride is Il
concrete thing The woman most ae-
customcd to justify herself high-minded-
~ for small dishonorahic acts. could not
lind another name by which bride
would smell sweet; the fact sta 5 YOU
large in the face; when YOU beat your
fare, you beat your fare. knew one
woman, however, who told me frankly
she beat her fare whenever she could,
because she said, the company was
treating the public badly. and she
seemed To feel. therefore, that beating
her fare was noble act. If women
could be led gently to the feeling that
beating fares was in reality giving back
in part 70 the people what the railways
have stolen from them, We would souu
have them riding free whenever they
could