Madame Lotti Wilmot.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 926, 16 March 1881, Page 6

Madame Lotti Wilmot.

Honor to whom honor. One good action —- one kindly word—spoken in season, is worth a worid of preaching, and goes a long way to undo some of the mistakes that most men (and women) make. Madame Lotti Wilmot has, amongst ether subjects, been lecturing in Napier on the “ Social Problem ” question, and, in a letter to the 11. B. Herald thus valiantly comes forward in the cause of her much ill-treated sex. Mad&me Lotti Wilmot may have some peculiarities, but her heart and courage are in the right place ; and she takes the cause of some poor “ unfortunate ” servant girl in the Napier hospital, thus:—“l am much interested in the hospital debate, bearing as it does on that much vexed question—the social problem—and am astonished that among the gentlemen who have spoken and written on this subject, that they have not attempted to dive beyond the surface and amend the present laws which encourage the reckless immorality of men while the odium is borne by the weaker sex. Mr M‘Kay states that in Napier there are “ half-a-dozen servants similarly circumstanced at the present time.” Is there no law to find out the authors of the misery of these half-a-dozen servants, and must the general public pay for the licentiousness of doubtless some “ respectable citizens ?” Although the woman bears the pain and disgrace, society of the present day still receives the man, and does not even compel him to part with his money to find a shelter in the hour of trouble for his victim. I offer these suggestions in the hope that some influential citizen (whose hands are clean), and does not fear to push himself forward in the cause of morality and humanity, will agitate, and if possible, unmask the cause of such a state of things, that some beneficial result may ensue. A stranger - myself here, although I have travelled the entire Continent of Europe, could not help thinking that no one ever proposed or made any effort to find the reputed fathers. Shakespeare says “ let the galled jade wince,” and conscience sometimes makes men mute.”