The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-08-07
MAMIE MCLAUGHLIN
Women Are Agitating Her Equal Riiebt
with Men to Invoke Unwritten I.sw


# Mamie Mclaughlin were a man
how long would she remain in iailp
When the case was presented to Judge
Baker he refused to admit Miss Nc
Laughlin to bail. In strict interDreta-
ton Of the law he is justifable. since
the charge being murder is not bai1able,
kS-Afiss Mclaughlin were a man she
would have been given an opportunity
to vindicate herself, as has been afford
ed more than one man through a pre-
Gminary hearing, where the mitigating
circumstances would have been deemed
sufficient to warrant bond, especially as
I in this case, and when citizens of char
acter were ready to make bond to the
amount OF 100000 or more.
1t is not infrequent that what is called
law will squint at justice and heroize
some scoundrel who should be doing
service at hard labor in the penitentiary.
However, the young woman de-
bauched by Hughey Smith has enlisted
the active sympathy and earnest co-ope-
ration of the good women of New Or
leans, especially the Era Club, an inlu-
entail and an all-powerfu1 organization
of women. In this case they are ac-
tuated by well defined general prin-
ciple
As said by Mrs, Roydon Douglass, the
president of the Era Club: I am
espousing Mamie McLaugh1in's case as
matter of principle / do not mean to
countenance personal vengeance God
alone should avenge wrongs, and He
Himself has said vengeance is mine.
But | do not think that there should be
one law for men and another for wom-
en-. Were it Mamie McLaughIin's broth
er who had avenged the wrongs done to
his sister, he would have walked out of
prison a free man. The papers are full
OF the accounts of cases where men muir
der men, and women too, because they
feel that their honor has been dragged
iii the dust, and they are never pun
i5hed. Now if this ruling holds good in
the case of man, why should not tie
same leniency be extended to woman
Were Mamie Mclaughlin to be tried by
!. jury of her peers it would be different
A woman can see things from Wonl-
ans point of view, and III a way that is
possible to no man. The fact that were
D woman to go free under the same cir
cl1mstances in which a man would be
held blarne1ess in the law would, thtnk,
be a precedent to place a limit to the
crimes against young womanhood prac-
t;ced by grace1ess libertines, who after
wrecking young girls virtue, cast bel
aside and go unpunished." "
To this declaration the Caueasiaa
would add its earnest approval. Wher
"a young woman has been duped by a
nan she should have the right of re
alressing her wrong
Among the noble women of New Or
leans who are interested in this case is
Miss Jean Gordan, whose view as vel
as her words must carry the widest in
fIuence everywhere.
why am / interested in Miss Nc
Iauphiin?. said Miss Gordon to Pic
ayune representative. Because ! be
1ieve there come moments in the life OF
every one when d-giyen instincts are
higher than any law made by man, and
Miss Mclaughlin acted under the in
stinct Of outraged love and confidence
II am interested because | believe she
has saved hundreds of other silly, trust
ing loving girls of 10 from a like fate
There are lots Of men Of the typ,
of Smith who think the working girl Is
their legitimate prey, and this will hell
to teach them that when the deliberate,
lure a child on to sin and then cast hel
aside like an old garment that the God
given instinct of self preservation i
the first law. of nature
IF Miss Mclaughlin were woman
with some idea of the world and IT
yiciousness / would not have turned
hand to help her, but she was chile
led to her moral destruction by mar
old enough to be her father. and vii
always stand for youth which has beer
betrayed by those who should have CIV
en- protection. There was no redress toi
her had she appealed to any court in the
land, and realizing that she was to b
made an outcast while her destroyer
under the dual code Of morals, was tc
go free and happy as summers breeze
she took justice in her own hands. Ar
awful thing to do, grant you, but sht
did right.
IF ever there was case where tn
sunwriften law should be applied IN al
justice, this case is the best have eve
heard Of. Had her father or brothel
killed Smith no jury in the State Weult
have brought in a bill Of murder against
him Why, then, is it more repre'.en
sibIe for the girl with her heart anf
Snu1 burned and tortured at the perb6A