Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-12-31

cldlly 10 Her WOHltH anu Clliluleu CO
enforce the prohibition law. 1t is
worse than idle for men to talk about
chivalry when they stand by and see
a woman's heart broken by the ruin
of her husband or son. 1t is difficult
to see where the chivalry comes in
when the state allows so many thou
sands of men and women to become
physical and moral wrecks because
of alcohol. South Carolina owes it to
herself now and to the unborn gene
rations to protect herself from this
curse. And if the women were given
a chance to help decide it they would
put men into office who would en-
force these laws. Also the pro-suf-
fragists hold that a constituency of
voting women would have very diff
ferent influence on the management
of cities, on the cleaning of the
streets, the building laws, the school
Accommodations, the board of health,
the general sanitary and moral con-
ditions. The woman half Of the COM
munity, speaking generally, is moral,
industrious, economical and devoted
to loving, disinterested service and
in consequence, claims to be an adj
vantage to the state as well as the
home.
Since the day the willy serpent
tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden
and beguiled her into eating the for
hidden fruit, woman has been mans
intellectual equal. And when she
gave some of the fruit unto her hus-
band and he did eat and his eyes
opened, did he reproach her? All, no
We fancy he offered her brand Of
flattery that was subtle and intoxi-
eating. He must have told her that
she was wise and intuitive; that she
was a marvel and wonder.
Anent the scathing commentary
of a distinguished South Carolina
Judge on woman suffrage and of wo-
men serving on juries, we would say
that the time is coming. Personally,
we do not wish to serve on juries, but
lin every community there are num-
bers of well7of, middle-aged women,
llocalI " rem nowned hard
horse sense and their kind hearts;
women who are wise in the knowl-
edge of the human heart and ripe in
experience; women to whom every
one who knows them goes for coun-
sci and advice. These women would
make ideal jurors, who would bring
an unhurried, unworried attention to
the consideration of case submitted
to them that is impossible to men
worried and troubled about their
own affairs. Men universally assert
that they have never been able to
learn even the of feminine psy-
chology, and that womankind is rid
die beyond their guessing. Realizing
this, men juries generally just throw
up their hands and give the problem
up when they are called upon to deal
with a woman criminal, and let her
go scot free. This gives US those ira
vesties on justice that disgrace our
courts, where after the prosecutor
has spent weeks of time and hun
dreds of dollars in proving woman
guilty of some crime, the jury brings
in a verdict of "not guilty" in the
face of overwhelming evidence to the
contrary. A woman jury would cor
rect this evil. A woman jury would
have no traditions of gallantry to up
hold, nor would it be affected by the
beauty of the defendant or consider
that the possession of blue eyes and
! golden hair and a willowy figure
gave lady a right to put poison in
her husbands coffee because she had
fallen in love with another man. And
woman jury would possess the in
fallible recipe for testing woman's
tears and telling when they were
genuine tears Of grief or repentance
and when crocodile tears. Nor would
women juries be unduly harsh to
their sex. They would simply under
stand just what motives lay behind
every act that woman committed.
They would simply judge her intelli-
gently as men judge another man.
That women should be on the juries
that try cases that involve little chill
dren and errinp girls is self obvious.