The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-10-01
By SELENE ARMSTRONG.

e u advocate po!ySamy- as a national in
Sutution- open and recognized, If he
identical standard OF morals is imp0s-
sIbie for both men and women
This IS the deliberate opinion OF Dr.
Katherine r. Davis, PHI D, OF the Uni
versity Of Chicago, who also holds de-
Crees from half a dozen or more for
eign universities, and who, as one OF
the leading woman pheEOIOgists OF The
world is prominent figure at the pres
ent convention Of the American Prison
Associate Miss Davis heads the New
York state Teformatory for women Che
only institution OF its kind In america.
and one Of the few womcn's refo-ma-
tories in this country, Massachusetts
ard Indiana being the only States which
have thus far provided special homes SOr
their women prisoners
Have Two Standards
The cause Of the crimes committed
ny the great majority Of women" said
Miss Davis when interviewed this morn
Ing. ''is the fact that there is one set
Of morals for men, and an entirely
different standard for women
In the New YORK State RefgTmztprE.
or which I have charge. and in which
there are between 80 and 400 women,
there are few who are not the victims.
primarily or solely Of this double stand
the complete tolerance, II not the ap-
prOVal, of society. while women 20 TO
. ruin from which they can rarely be
reclaimed, and our founding asylUrns
are filed with defective children.
And so, I say emphatiCally, If IL IS
impossible for men TO live by standards
which civilization requires of its won-
en-, then let US establish an open SyS-
TEN OF poICgan3y- Eetzs man be mar
RED to as many wives as he can sup
port Let these women not be the out
Cssts-of. society, and let their children
be given the love, and care, ana OppOT-
tunity that every human being born into
the world deserves Would this not be
Infinitely better than our present SyS-
TEN and its moral rottenneSs2f
Miss Davis. who is a NaSsar Sradu-
ste, and was for several years in charge
Sof the College settlement in Philadel-
NpfTia mas headed the View York State
ReformatorT for Women E0T ten years
She has acquired an international rePu-
tstiOn as a CrjminolOgists and has work
&c with signal success TO reform hun
dTedS OF SO-caiied female criminals who
the establishment Of the reformatOry-
She believes that penOl0gy opens a
new field Of endeavOT and usefulness to
women. who are peculiarly fitted tenn
peTamentaIIy for certain phases Of the
work. --..s
Asked what she considers the chief
tendency in prison reform methods OF
The present day, Dr. Davis replied
The indtvidualizius Of our prison
Eystem. by which ! mean the attempt
to reform our prisoners, not in masses.
hut a. individuals We have come to
see that II Is the prisoner not the
crime. which needs 20 be dealt with
AT the New York state RefOTmatoFy,
which Is situated thiTty-niue miles north
OF New YORK, continued DR. Davis,
I've have put into execution the cot
tage plan Of living BY putting the
prisoners in cottages. y Is easier TO
classify them, 50 that women for whom
there Is hope OF reform need not be i'm
constant contact with those who border
upon depTavTty- OuT refOrmatOry has
~. acres OF land which furnishes out
Of door work and recreation for our
women
Many Are IlIiterate.
Dr. Davis stated that 10 Ter cent Of
the women wlso come under her charge
are totally Hliterate. while y pc. cent
can neither read nor write English
They are sent regularly TO ScloOI while
under our care and are also taught
domestic science and other Industrial
work
We place these women ont as do
mesuc servants. nearly all Of them.
when they leave us That seems about
the only avenue open 10 them Because
theIr lives have deDarted from the
standards set by civilization for It's Wo-
TO orfer them But women frequently
tell us
i VIII take a. q servant any voul-
an VINO can wash ms dishes properly.
snd do the houzecIeauif- vgf+bo--- M,
supervision.
Miss Davis spoke recently l.. BeIt1-
more before large gathering thero.
y no are ~etIinE on loot p movement
TO obtain appl onT-Iztious for q zvou17u-S
TeformstorT Tor the State Of Maryland
she returned 20 Washington today G.,
attend the convention OF the American
Prison Association here. and later TIE
international Prison Congress.