IS WOMAN'S TESTIMONY LBSS RELIABLE THAN MAN'S?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11620, 6 April 1901, Page 6 (Supplement)

IS WOMAN'S TESTIMONY LBSS RELIABLE THAN MAN'S?

Judge Waterman-, of Chicago, has recent '' i produced something of a sensation by grant- ■ ' ' ; I ing a new trial in a case before him upon tV '■' ! ground that the verdict which it was sought j to set aside had been based largely upon tho j testimony of women. " The evidence of one \ written document," he is reported as garni"is of more weight than the oral testimony 1 of a.dozen witnesses, particularly when w men are concerned. Though women are-mi*' doubtedly upon a higher moral: plane than ' men, they are not as reliable on the witnessstand. It seems that women are of a mors imaginative nature, and, though it is no doubt unintentional, they come to believe as true what they at first only imagine and maintain their belief in spite of all evidence against it." Says the Philadelphia In" quircr:—" These are surprising charges an( i ' no less grave than surprising." If they are to be accepted as true, there is no'escap*"-- . '• from the conclusion that from at leas*, on a '> point of view, the point involved in the - ' opinion of this Chicago Judge, women arl ■ • not entitled to be regarded as responsibly' human beings. The person who is not abljjjto distinguish between what is fancy and.- 1 what is fact is a person whom it is hardly' ; ! safe to allow to be at large. - It cannot, be V. f admitted of such a person that he or she is in, the full possession of his or her senses. To mistake' illusions for realities is one of the most constant and characteristic indications | of insanity, so that the statement of the I Chicago judge is equivalent to an assertion ! that women as a body are what the lawyers " call non compos mentis. We don't believe that there will be any considerable or respect- "'• able body of assent to that proposition. We- -V" should be inclined to say that women make* at least as good witnesses as inen, if not beti ter, and that for several reasons. They are. . naturally more observant • they are 'apt to have a better memory for details; and they are more conscientious about stating in Court j what they believe to be true. This Chicago judge himself admits that they are upon a higher moral plane than men, and if thai; doesnfc mean among other things that the?, have a more scrupulous regard for the truth the Chicago man is loose in his use of lan- < guage. Of course • there are women who can't be trusted upon their oath just as there ; are men; but it may well be questioned' whether upon the whole women are not"! more truthful "of the two."