Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-15
WOMEN AS JURORS.


 Editor of the Social Corner: Since my recent letter the papers have an nOunced that on the anniversary of Mrs. Ella Wilson's election as mayor of HunneWell, Kas., her desk was coV- cred with flowers and those same male members Of her council who a few months ago refused to attend meet ings and in every way sought to drive her to resign and were forced to either take themselves out of the way or do their duty, all made speeches congIat- ulating her on her successful admins tration and pledged their allegiance in future.
 She has changed a wet town into such an orderly one that not drink can be obtained across a bar.
 I am sure Co-Solid will rejoice with me that the tact and dignity of de- termined woman has won the loyalty of her most disobedient and faithless sub jects. Suffrage has won in Hume well.
 Co-Soid says: "Of course, you have heard that women jurors are declared unconstitutional in California" have before me an editorial from t he Springfield (Mass.) Republican upon the first jurors subpOenaed in Califor- nia which says: Woman has acquit- ted herself triumphantly at the very point where her critics had been most doubtful Ii we have equal suffrage, we have been told, and juries of women, look out for a reign of prudery and petty censorship. Yet tt has oddly happened that California's first jury of women had it's first duty to try an ed itor on the charge of publishing an obscene and indecent newspaper, and SV.r1 1Are1 yro4T q verdict Of not guilty. The editor had simply reported in his newspaper the words used to him by a hostile town trustee. Profane simply decided the jurors, and not indecent, and added that such words were less of q shock in q newspaper than when heard while passing 2, saloon. Yet such men are never arrested. Why should we pun ish an editor ?" Sensible women! They have heaped coals of fire on the head Of the accused editor, who had been opposed to woman suffrage, who says that women cannot be magnanimous? ?''
 It is true that the attorney general of California has ruled that women are ineligible for jury service, What motives influenced him is not reported. It Is very certain that the women of California. will not submit to this de- cision while their neighboring states are secure in this right.
 Governor Hay of Washington said recently: Ladies who recently served on a Jury are earnest and sincere in their belief that women should serve as jurors. The trial judge of the case praised their services highly and urged that women jurors be generally called upon. l have been advised that prom inent women of the state generally favor service on juries and I shall | make no recommendations otherwise" In Seattle, women jurors are pro- vided with separate retiring rooms and woman bailiff. The women of Wash ington are exempt from jury duty il | they so wish, but all over the state the women realize that 1t is in the court room that not only property rights ana personal rights are decided, but life l itself and they are willing to cheer ! ntlly serve on the 1ury No ono needs
 this protection more than women 1 soon as the ballot was granted tc 1 tho Washington women in 1910. a DO ! lice court jury of six prominent sui
 fraglsts was empanelled to try a wo-
 l1ah on charge of using gas that was | net registered hy meter. The wofnar
 Was acquitted on the showing of facts