New-York tribune., 1910-08-28
THE WOMAN'S COURT
While Al Want 1t, 1t Is Caus-
ing Much Strife.

When the legislative committee Of the
State Federation of Women's Clubs, under
the craftsmanship Of Mrs. Gabrielle Stew
art Mulliner, proposed the establishment
OF special court for women. 1t prob
ably had TO idea that the plan would so
soon materialize or that it would be- the
means Of stirring up a hornets nest of
opposition. Both these things have come
10 pass, however. Two courts for women,
the first of the kind in the country. will
be opened in September, one in Manhattan
and one in Brooklyn. and the opposition is
busily engaged in preparing ammunition
which is to be used for the first time at
the annual meeting of the New York State
Woman's Christian Temperance Union in
October.
Not that any one objects TO g. separate
court for women. There is perfect una
nimty on that point. But the bill which
created these courts is a long one, as may
be gathered from the fact that the clause
about which disagreement has arisen is
numbered 7s, and 1t was inevitable, proba-
bly,, that all women should not think alike
about SO many things. At any rate, their
oninIons about Clause 10 have diversed very
widely.
This clause provides for the medical ex-
animation of prostitutes and their deten-
ton under treatment for a term not to
exceed a year II they are found to be af-
fected by contagious diseases.
The opposition to this clause was started
by the Women's Prison Association and is
now being carried on by committee OF
| women from this society and from various
other organizations. This committee has
| asked Miss Lavinia L. Dock, secretary OF
the International Council of Nurses and
| DR.. Jane L. Berry, of the executive COM
! mittee of the Women's Prison Association
| TO prepare a booklet for propaganda pur-
| poses. Il is this booklet which is now be-
| ing rushed to completion for use by the
| Woman's Christian Temperance Union. In
I il the authority of the most eminent Ameri-
| can and European specialists in venereal
diseases will be adduced in opposition to
the Objectionable clause.
| Our opposition is directed solely toward
| Clause 7s and that on sanitary and hy-
gienic grounds" said Miss Dock when seen
at the Nurses Settlement, on Henry street.
There is one other clause that we don't
approve Of but we think the one in regard
| to medical examination pernicious in its
| tendencies that we willing to ignore
! our other objections for the purpose Of
| comba It. We think Clause 79 objec-
| tionable in its moral aspects, too. but
| we're not going to say anything about that.
| for we believe we can fight 1t most effec-
| lively with the weapons provided by mod
| ern medical and scientific knowledge. All
| legislation such as has been attempted In
! this regulation has been proved by the
many European countries that have worked
| on the same lines to be absolutely worth
| less and it is extremely foolish for US to
| initiate. their mistakes To try to control
| venereai diseases by such means as are
! provided by this clause is as unntelligent
as il would be to try TO stamp out yellow
| fever without giving any attention to the
mosquito. Another argument against II Is
that no more efectual plan could have
been devised for making the hospitals odi-
Gus TO the public If treatment in hospitals
is made compulsory in certain cases no one
will go to them voluntarily when they need
trea tment Quackery will flourish in
sequence and nearly every one knows how
disastrous the result of this will be"
Mrs Gabrielle Stewart Muliner. chair
man of the legislative committee of the
State Federation of Womens Clubs, which
started the agitation for a woman's court,
says no one would be more strongly OPP
posed to Clause 79 than herself II she could
see how the evil effects feared could come
from It.
1T gives the Board of Health some con-
t-ci over a class Of contagious diseases"
she said, that ii has heretofore had
no means Of dealing with. and 1t will send )
women out after they have served their
terms of confinement better fitted. physi-
cally. at least. to live respectfully. At pres
ent there is no special provision for pre-
pairing these women during their deten-
ton to earn an honorable living, but that
is what / am going work for now"
The Jefferson Market court is to become
the womans court in Manhattan. and after
September the entire building will be re-
served for the use of women. This Will, :
In a measure, solve the problem of a |
house OF detention, which has been much |
agitated by those interested IN the public |
welfare, but ultimately Mrs. Mulliner hopes |
that both courts will be housed in build |
ings specially designed for them.