Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-24
JUDGE JAMES E. GORNlAN
On the Revision of the States Vice Laws


THERE is urgent need Of the revision OF
and the social code in the opinion OF Judge
James F.. German. of the Municipal Court,
and the WY out lies through the influence
Of the women voters Of the state. .,..
1.-THE laws Of the State relating .ie,ut1s 70 tE's
subject" said Judge Gormam ,"ni,r, 'h1"kbs hn ths
fact that the woman is always p"nalized
much more heavily than the man. ~ my
life have been opposed bitterly to double
standard Of morals, and ! do not see now
any rational person could approve OF u.
Unfortunately. however. in our State the
laws as pa>>ed, which the Judges merely
interpret and decide, are 80 framed as to
develop such n double standard.
Equal Penalties Not Provided
For instance. the laws explicitly pro-
vide punishment for the woman who com
mits an offrl>- against morality. but no.
where in the State laws can person hnd
provision for the equal punishment OF the
man.
I'm my twenty years experience as mag
is.rnte sitting in the Central Station. in III"
Juvenile Cour, and more recently in the
misdemeanantS branch OF tn" Municipal
Court. have had frequent occasion to
notice this unjust discrimination against
women and have never ceased 20 state from
the bench that il should not exist.
II have always thought the matter Of
sufficient Importance 10 engage the altcn.
ton Of thos" magnificent women OF our
State who have done such wonderful work
in c!cvn,ing the moral. social and political
conditions Of their sisters. ana hnv" often
wondered why they did not insist upon
having laws enacted for the punishment of
the man as we'll n> Of the woman. 1t can.
not be because Of ignorance OF the matter,
because / have called the attention of the
public to this inul"rable condition of affairs
both upon the pn, form and from the bench
too many times to enumerate.
No Laws for tho Man
"As ! lnya snih innumernble times. the
laws OF our State provide IN adequate pun
ishlnent for the woman and also contain
many measures for her care and redemption,
but no such law exists which provides for
the punishment Of the man who tranSgresscs
in like manner. II always has been source
of great annoyance to me In hearing cases
to find no provision for the adequate pun.
ishment Of the man. I am certain that If
proper law were enacted by the Legislature
elualizing these punishments regardless of
the sex Of the offender, vice would be ma
t"rinlly reduced. ii not wholly eliminated.
Judging from past difficulties, however,
in trying to have such laws enacted. 1t is
BY no means certain that such law could
he passed, but surely the public should dc.
mand its passage and the consequent crssl-
ton of this impossible condition Of affairs.
Other States have done 10, notably New
York, which by the passage of its Vagrancy
Law has placed the man in the same posi-
ton as the woman before the courts, and
subject. therefore. 10 the same puniShmentS
and penalties. And. il the results Of the
upcraticns Of that law b" correct, there has
been a material lesSenng Of the social evil.
Other Laws Need Revision
''Our state laws with regard to another
form Of vice conditions are also in urgent
need Of some Improvement. For instance.
it seems next to impossible from the records
of the courts to convict those persons who
maintain dsOrdcrly houses. II Is seldom or
never, when testimony Is produced by the
police. that any other act than the one which
involved the arrest is proved. although both
the police and the Court frequently know
that the prisoner is the keeper Of such nm
establishment.
This. it is true, might be overcome by
n more thorough investigation by the police
pror to the arrest, but when such Is gen
rrally known to he the ease should not the
law say so!
'"ro summarize. one may say that there
is actually no Pennsylvania law TO Justify
the arrest or the punishment of the man in
ali these cases. The courts, perhans T."
lessen the appmrent injustice. have for wears
last been in tho habit of inhicting a I'm"
upon the man for what was termed disor
derby conduct: hut u rho terms OF the law
in this respect Ike examined closely II will