when placed on a
jury will himself vote for acquittal.

After all, the juries are right. Most of the cases of murder against
women involve sex relations. Nature has made the bearing and rearing of
children first of all the woman's part, and this fact so dominates her
life that nothing else seems important to her in comparison. She is not
able to judge in a broad and scientific way matters so clearly affecting
life. It may even be possible that in the evolution and preservation of
life, her judgments are right. At least they are the natural judgments
for a large number of women, or these tragedies would not occur. No
doubt as woman enters the field of industry formerly monopolized by man,
and as she takes her part in politics and sits on juries, the percentage
of female criminals will rapidly increase. In fact, the percentage of
women prisoners has been climbing for many years. As she takes her place
with men she will be more and more judged as men are judged, and will
commit the crimes that men commit, and perhaps furnish her fair quota to
the penitentiaries and jails.

Whether this will be better or worse for the race is no part of the
discussion, and can only be told by long experience. Women must accept
the facts and make their choice of activities in view of these facts.
Quite apart from any sentiment, I think that it is a mistake to believe
that men and women should be judged alike. The structure and nervous
system of women cause physical and mental disturbances which affect
their judgment and life. If there were any justice in human judgment and
civilization, then each human being would be judged according to his
make-up, his tendencies, his inclinations and his capacities, and no two
would be judged alike.

Any sudden change in the treatment of women in the courts will work a
great injustice that will leave its effect on both women and men, and
still more on the life of the race.

IX

JUVENILE CRIMINALS

This subject would scarcely have been noted a few years ago. True, there
was in the past a small mixture of children in the grist ground out in
the criminal courts. Usually they received some leniency, and were
viewed with more curiosity than alarm. The juvenile criminal was
regarded as a prodigy with a capacity for crimes far beyond his years.
Something of the attitude obtained in regard to him which attaches to
the child chess player or the child mathematician. The child criminal is
now common,