Show Motherhood and the Law By Sophie Irene Loeb Bianca Blanca Vergara Vergara de tie Sat Saulles lles llesis is lodged in Jail jaU for tor the murder of ot her husband Summed up her defense is mother love On On all sides opinions are being presented as to this love Here lere Is a beautiful young woman whose marriage was evidently a mistake mistake mistake mis mis- take but whose love as a mother went so far as to kill In an effort to hold to her heart the child of or the unhappy union N No matter how sympathetic one may feel or how much sentiment is aroused against putting women to death ac according according ac- ac cording to the law no woman has the legal right to take the law into her own hand and proceed to execute her conviction If It we did aid ld not have law ana order in inthis inthis inthis this connection how many persons would take the law into their own hands and commit crimes in periods of ot passion and In revenge It would be a terrible world to live in No individual may have the power of life lite and death over another with safety safety safe sate ty for tor all Laws are mad made for the common common cornmon com corn mon good and must be maintained Yet there is something else to be reckoned with in connection with such extenuating cases cases as this While the laws lire bore definitely settled as to murder murder mur mur- der dor they are wanting in connection connection con con- with motherhood It is a law of nature that began with Eve Yet up to the present man made laws have failed tailed to meet its natural demand demand de de- de- de mand inand and it remains one of ot the fighting fighting fight fight- ing forces of life lite Mother love is the prime instinct of civilization No law can be made to controvert it It proceeds in its natural natural natural natu natu- ral course as sure as water and when the spirit is strong trong enough it defends this instinct with life lite Itself History has shown that v we e have failed to satisfy sat sat- its claim Its natural claim Father love bye ove in individual cases may reach nearl nearly that of ot the mother But Bu as a general thing the love of the father fath fath- er sister or brother the wife or the husband is never nover the same as that of ot the mother Such love comes coes with the first cry of ot the infant and is there to close the eyelids eyelids ever ever present present and and when that life lite has gone its course Therefore it should be recognized i Lawmakers must realize that motherhood motherhood motherhood mother mother- hood and fatherhood are not on an anS j S equal basis that when married people separate the craving of ot motherhood must be satisfied The welfare of the child and the mother is of paramount importance I should like to see some law where this point would be settled beyond cavil It is a natural law that needs I to be made a legal one and the custody custody custody cus cus- tody of children established before the marriage is allowed to take place I If It this were the rule many a union I would remain unbroken but as it is isI I this part time proposition has rarely I worked out part out part time with the mother I and part time with th the father tather after they have parted If It it were possible to put on the statute books a law that would settle i I it for once and all that all that a child beI belongs belongs be- be I longs to the mother until the age of ot j I 14 or 16 at the time when compulsory education ceases presuming that the ther r r child has sense enough to continue Its I own education If If this could bo be done I I with proper provision of course that the father see the child occasionally I then such cases as the De Saulles I would be obviated As it is the parents agree or courts I decide either sometimes wisely and sometimes not too well Disagreements follow with well known results Therefore Therefore Therefore There There- I fore this basic principle should be a aI sound Inviolate statute from the start I Only in the case where the mother is isan isan isan an improper guardian should the law lawI I be invoked against her in the retention 1 I of ot her offering Where the mother is deemed to be a worthy mother there 1 should be no question of the custody of ot I her baby Legislators might well realize realize realize real real- ize that laws contrary to nature particularly par par- involving mother love invite catastrophe I Copyright 1917 1911 by the U. Press Prea Publishing Co The New l York E World i |