The Washington times., 1927-07-04
z MORE PLEAD.
FOR RUTH

The milk of human kindness still
is flowing out for Mrs. Ruth
Snyder, slayer of her husband, whose
tragic story of her life recently was
concluded in The Washington
Times. Two more letters are
printed today, expressing the wish
that she be not judged too severely
or cruelty, inasmuch as all of us
are human and frail and open to
sin.
H. U. G. o. Herfurth. IT,, of
Alexandria, Va. takes issue with
Charles d. Reeder, of Lorton, Va,
for more than twenty years engaged
in prison work, whose letter in con-
domination Of Mrs. Snyder recently
was published in The Times.
Mr.. Reeder expressed the opinion
that Mrs. Snyder was paying the
just penalty for her sin. and should
not be shown any too much SYM
pathy. Mr.. Herfurth says:
"Mr. Reeder says that the law
is plain and that it does not in.
vite people to murder. That is
all true, but the legislative body
should not make laws which can
be broken by the least weakness
of human nature. am referring
to our marriage laws.
Licenses should be more diff.
cult to secure and divorces easier
to obtain. / think before any
marriage license is issued. the ap.
plicants should go through u psy-
Geological test to sec if they are
suited to each other. For ex.
ample, one should be of the ascend
ing and the other of the submits
sive type. After these tests are
made, the applicants pass, and the
marriage license is granted, should
it turn out that the scientists have
diagnosed the case wrong, a di.
vorce should be granted by affi-
dav1t from the board Of scientists
who made the tests.
A Knock at .Juries
Ruth Snyder and Judd ray
were no doubt mismated. They
were tried by a jury not compe-
tent to try a case of this kind.
think the jury should have con-
sisted of scientific men or women,
or at least Of group who could
talk for themselves and not be
swayed by one of ascending per-
sonality. 1 do not mean that this
was done in their case, and /
don't mean to beIittIe the type of
jury our courts cmpanel, for no
doubt the juries are conscientious.
but very often they are led by
the views Of one of ascending per.
scnality without thinking whether
the verdict is just or not.
Crime could be very materially
reduced If the State would organ
1ze board of psychologists in
each city and compel each school
child to take a Psychological test
each year. The purpose of the
test would be to find out a
criminal mind was present. If so
to treat the child for this disease"
Mrs. H. L. Clayton. of $50
st. N. w., also has
a kind word for Mrs. Snyder. She
writes:
81 am "a years old and the
mother of three children. But nv
attitude toward Mrs. Snyder diff
fers from that of Mrs. Alfred e
johnson. jr., likewise mother of
three, whose letter, expressing the
hope that Mrs. Snyder would be
executed. was printed recently in
The Times.
Praises Motherhood
1T is true that Mrs. Snyder broke
the laws of God, but if everyone
obeyed them we would not need
courts, judges and earthly laws. Mrs.
Snyder went into the shadow of
death to give life to her baby. Lor.
ra1ne. and she fed her at her breast
Just the same as all of US mothers
do. Little did Mrs. Brown know
when she in turn held baby Ruth in
her arms that one day this babe
would be found guilty of first.degree
murder and sentenced to die.
True, Mrs. Snyder should nav for
her sin. She deserves to pay. But
let us mothers be the last to try to
rob her of all she holds, the name
Of mother. The thing for us mothers
to do is to pray that Ruth finds the
true light and the real love of God
and His Blessed Mother. and that
after she Is executed, her soul will
rest in peace.
That is what counts, not her
body, nor her bobbed hair,