Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-09-23
The Social Evil.

demonstration of the sWoman's Club" hayip o
in view the suppression Of the 'Social Evil" took
place last evening at Lincoln Hall, which was
comfortably filed, the body of the house being
occupied by ladies and gentlemen, and the
galleries and rear by the male "persuasion -
many Of whom were rowdies and blackguards
as shown by their behavior. 1t was quite evil
dent by glance over the audience that by TAR
the greater portion of those present were there
more from motives Of curiosity than for the pur-
pose OF aiding in the good work which the mem
bers Of the WoElan's Club are endeavoring to
accomplish. At q quarter to eight O'Clock,
the roughs in the galleries grew impatient. and
INDUCED IN the old Bowery New York; theatre
style OF Willing away the time,by stamping their
feet in concert, calling each other pet names and
whistling No one seemed disposed to decry
these demonstrations, and with slight inter-
missions they were continued until o'clock,
when Mr.. II. c. Spencer, followed by Mrs.
Spencer, Miss Lilly Wood, Mr.. and Mrs. A. G..
Riddle, Mrs. Alice b. Wayne, John M. Morris
and III. c. Merritt of the Chronicle, and about
half a dozen of the RECLAIMED sisterhood,' -
appeared through a de door and took seats on
the stage. After the applause which greeted
their entry had subsidized, Mr.. and Mrs. Spencer
came fOrw ard, and together repeated the Lords
prayer in an impressive manner.
Mr.. Spencer then addressed the meeting at
some length. Everybody should feel called upon
TO do all he could to remove the social evil. In
fifteen years he had tau ght from 5000 to 20 coo
boys and girls. The first lessons in sensualty
are learned in school. Many teachers neglect to
give proper advice to those under their charge in
regard TO their conduct. Parents are frequently
guilty OF the same neglect, because the subject
OF vice in one of its forms Ii a delicate matter.
IL parent sees serpent in the path of his child
does he not Kill it? But when the serpent of
sensuaity appears he saws the subject is too del
icate TO be mentioned, Away with such delicacy
that leaves children to 60 to ruin. TApplause.1
Alter some remarks on obscene literature,
he gave way to Hon. A. G. Riddle, who COM
menced by saying that he knew not what to say
or what to do, of such magnitude is the social
evli. 1t was only few months ago that the sub
ject was thought tit to be spoken of. [Mischiev-
Gus applause from the galleries.l The man was
brave and the woman addressing himself to
Mrs. Spencer, Who was busily engaged writing
at small table on the left of the stage,) was a
heroine who dared discuss the subject on a pub
lie platform. The social evil was an old evil and
could be located as far back as when man COM
mitted his first sin and woman her first folly
more m0re gallery spRianse; 1t has been found too
even by the principles of Christianity
as we apply them. The great question is,
the victims of the forms of false civilization.
Laws are useless, and your judges and jailors
are powerless. Society has decTeed that when
once a women falls she can never re-enter its
PORTALS After commenting on RIGHTEOUSNESS
among men, the speaker said, Z" Talk of a ruined
sister, but estimate a lost and ruined male
What, 1 say, shah be done? NOISY applause
from the rowdies in the galleries, who evidently
wanted to hear from some of the ladiesl How
shall We reclaim these fallen sisters More
applause Men are swallowed up in a cyclone
precious lives are lost in the very heart of civ
lhZatiOn? Again say, What shall we do ?'o
Further demonstrations from the disorder
hes.l There are fearful and terrible
cases of seduction, more applause, and they
sometimes happen on both sides! lBoisterous
shouts of applause.l But we say TO woman that
II she does one certain thing she will be ac-
cursed. More turbulent demonstrations.l The
world says regulate the social evil. IApplause.l
How? More applause.l o, license the houses.
lCries OF :" License emf /" Raid EN-" and
STA mr., irlfv Of faar1 ~
the contagious disease-act in Europe. 1t was
the custom to appoint examiners-men-a
woman couldn't do that duty; it is hardly fitted
for her. Suppressed merriment all over the
house, and loud applause from the gallery bows
Under this act women are to be seized upon in
spected, and If found diseased are to be turned
over to the hospital. GApplause, cat calls,
Mrs. Spencer here came forward and said:
May be allowed to ask gentlemen to remember
that there are ladies present pa" This query was
applauded, and Mr.. Riddle resumed. One word
more and retire. lApplause.l Both sexes
should be submitted to the curative process
Raiding these women Is cowardly and ruffianly;
but the Womans Club propose to win them
back by love and kindness. [Another long
drawn-out sneeze from the rear of the hall
The speaker then made brief plea for the
equality OF the sexes, asserting that seduction is
common because of the state of inferiOrity in
which women are kept by men.
Mrs Spencer again came forward, and being
greeted with another nasal demonstration from
u
called upon Major Richards OF his men, if they
were present, to preserve order. She did not
believe in raiding helpless women, but she did
believe in putting men where they ought to 90
when they don't behave themselves. lApplause.l
As president of the Womsn's Club, She an
nounced that the meeting would be adjourned
If any further interruption occurred. She then
referred TO one OF the reports Of the first mass
meeting of the Woman's Club, and after cor
recting a statement made therein, said that
a multitude OF questions have been asked
OF the Woman's Club, but life is too short to
answer all Of them. The statement has been
made that there is not family in Washington
which has not in some way suffered from the an.
proaehes OF this willy old serpent, with which we
have undertaked 10 grapple. should like to see
the statement clearly diSproven, andthe spotless
family stand forth in the eyes of all the people
A little house, where two alleys meet, just under
our windows at home, was still as death through
all long summer, but coming and going, by
night and by day, young men and old men, bows
OF fourteen, and men who were old enough to be
their fathers, passed swiftly and quietly by,
knocked stealthily at the little white door, and
were admitted. Applause and laughter-l Some
OF the visitors knew, boys without mothers and
boys with Christian mothers, who walked with
them to church and Sunday school, and heard
them their lessons and their prayers at night,
little dreaming that, when all was still, their
soDs crept softly out of the windows and sped
with eager feet to the little white door that stood
so safely there under heavens own moonlight
and starlight. lApplause.l The house was kept
by man, and occupied by two women on ordi-
nary Gays, ana Dy four on Saturdays and other
pay -days, when visitors were most numerous
Laughter. This was unmistakable, but the
evidence was worthless, and even If it had been
conclusive and valid, there was and is no law that
can do more than to change she location of the
business" As eleven Of our windows looked
down ulon it, the smallpox would have been a
more welcome neighbor. Finding themselves
apparently unnOticed, the visitors grew holder,
ana boys in the afternoon came out from thence
Climbed up on our lattice, and taught nv own
little boy the first bad word he ever knew
Mothers Of Washington, the DAY has gone by
when you can call yourselves l,ondnIy and jg-
more the vices which tempt and lure Your little
ones, your sons and your daughters, in the hirh-
ways and by-ways Of this great city. Il IS said
that in some households the dog Is the only liy.
ing creature that welcomes the master when he
comes home at night. Let Us all look to il,
wives, and remove every shadow of excuse in
this direction. And now to married men; what
ought 10 be said, what can be said? OF all the
fearful facts that have come to our knowledge
within the past few months, We have only given
through the press suggestion or two, as our
case required, and hat fearful storm is aroused,
The amount of suffering innocence among mar
red men in the city OF Washington during the
past month is enough TO wiring tears from ewes
ur used 10 weep, and TO consign the Woman;s
Club TO the regions OF dark despair; and in such
unexpected quarters, too. One would suppose
that the virtue and answering fidelity of men
had never been questioned before, since the