The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa Thursday, March 8, 1906 "JUSTICE TO THE SEXES" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Chariton, Iowa, March 4, 1906. Mr. H.W. Gittinger: When I read the article in your paper, headed "An Unwelcome Revelation," my heart cried out within me "why was it printed?" Had there not been enough said? Did your publication do any good? I think not. For when the man conceerned in such cases is made to suffer, by law, equal to what the woman suffers in the flesh, to say nothing of the finger of scorn, then and not until then will such crime cease. For while the wronged one spoken of in your paper, went down into the valley and the shadow, and her young life swayed in the balance, where was the man? Possibly seeking another victim to rob of her virtue. For this is the law of the earth we know. The woman is stoned while the man may go. It is a sad fact that too few of us try to follow the example of our Savior, set forth in the eighth chapter of John. It is also true that the public is too silent toward the sins of the sons and too cruel and severe with the erring girl; many is the fallen one who perhaps has longed to turn back to the straight path and begin life anew; but because it has been taught down the ages that no amount of repentance could redeem her, and no helping hand was reached out to her, no kind word spoken, she has not dared turn back, but hastened on, in sin; and yet she has as good right, if she will reform, to a future as wife and mother as the man has to be husband and father. I question if motherhood was justly termed a curse; for to become a mother should bring out all that is noble and tender in a woman, and might be an opportunity to redeem the fallen one. For I believe God opens the hearts of some with the pickaxe of love while with others he uses the crowbar of a mighty justice. I do not write this because I believe in winking at sin or wish to keep evil deeds in the dark, but as you could do ! nothing to lift the girl from the depths to which she had fallen, why did you publish her shame? Far better that space in your paper would have looked, if filled with that poem written by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, entitled "Two Sinners." To Be Continued . . ."Two Sinners". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copied by Nancee September 28, 2004