National Republican., 1873-06-05


but, in regard 10 the majority Of these women,
ought tobe sJ. Any systsm which could sue.
ccssfully drag them al from the remnants Of
their virtue, md crush out the last Of their
hopes Of better things, by launching them
beyond recovery Into open prostitution,
would pctrify the civilized world with horror
tho momeut1t was put into execution. II
way for the police 70 poesess themselves Of q
useful register, but 10 make classified secret
list from ths results Of Information gathered
BY thc various ordinary means within their
reach. In respect 10 open and confessed
prostitutes there would be no difficulty In OBJ
tainlng the information directly, but with
elandestines even tho all-powerfql police OF
coed In this indirect plan. An absolutely
complete forced registry might have some
advantages, but compulsory measures which
the beat organized police bodies Of Europe
cannot execute, will be found equally impos-
slble TO the police Of America. A private list
thus gathered and kept by the chief Of police
would DO free from the evils Of the compul.
sorry registration, BECAUSE unaccompanied. by
the risk Of exposure from medical Inspection
and hospital imprisonment.
CAN TuEsB WOMEN BE RETORMEDl
Some curious misconceptions are prevalent
on this subject. Among them Is the notion
that women In good society have no pity or
OUtf 10 tuC OutCtthlh Vi llltlT ONn hCN,
but do their utmost TO tramplo thom Into
hopeless infamy. Now II happens that the
only valuable work that has ever been done
In this field has been accomplished by women.
In the same flppant way II Is charged that
the religious portion OF the community totally
scorn and neglect thom. Now, 1t happens,
also, that u great work has boon silently
going on for years, and that II is carried on
almost exclusively by religious women, who
In this city have already permanently re-
formed nearly 1000 prostitutes. They have
done u, too, with such modcsty and silence
that the community Is almost unconscious
that anything has been attempted.
Two hundred and twenty years ago, Jean
Eudos, at Caen, In France, took up this mat
ter, aud founded an order OF nuns called the
Sisters Of the Good shepherd, whose entire lives
were devoted 10 the reform OF prostitutes and
the education and rescue Of little girls, daugh-
terS Of abandoned parents or orphans on the
road TO ruin. They have now one hundred
and thirteen establishments, Of which twenty
one arc In America, The prostitutes, when
they first enter these houses, are received into
q class called penltents, aud arc kept actively
occupied In such round Of labor, religious
exercises, &C, as TO leave them little lclsu y
for gloomy reflection, while at the same tlmo
their necdc-work, &C., pays for their sub
slstonco. Those who continue stcadfast for
two years, and desire to live permanently In
the house, enter into sort Of religious order
called Magdalens. The others are sheltered
until employment or homes eau be found for
them. Great numbers are permanently re-
formed, though, Of course, many others back
side, 81,
The entire order has now under It's charge
about 1000 Magdalons, and has In Its schools
about 4, 800 little girls, who were taken out
Of the high road " ruiu. ...y,4
The House Of the Good Shepherd In Chi
pao., UNA a.tahiiahed t1xplVt. Vnara a.rn IA
has fourteen Magdalens aud forty-two young
rescued girls In schools, besides variable
class OF pcnitcnts. This house has already
reformed nearly 800 dlssoluto women In Chi.
| cago. Tho experience Of the order Is that Of
the wemeu who come TO them voluntarily
more than half arc successfully and porma'
nently reformed, but whcro they are soni
there against their will Cmlnors are sometime,
sent by parcnts) they arc sClj-wlllod and
angry, aud rarely do wcll-yet, after being
released, some of them return permanent,
| reformed. There 10 good deal Of human
nature In this fact, which may DO proatably
studied by those who think II would be oasl
4 for our police to hunt up and subject to com
| pulsory regulations some thousands Of sucl
Tho Erring wornen's Refuge for Reform
in Chicago, has been established about clgh
years. II Is managed by an association o
ladies from Protestant churches. II hai
hitherto received about scventy-hyo Inmate
i every year, two thirds Of whom arc profcs
slonal prostitutes, and the rest non-profes
slonal women who have been scdnced ant
thrown upon the world. The non-profcsslona
ones arc nearly all saved to virtuous lives
and about half the professional ones. The,
have already permanently reformed In thl
eight years of the operations about 30
habltual prostitutes, besides saving about 20
, seduced women from that infamy. Many o
the women arc known 10 be happily mar
ried, some Of them In the upper class o
, society. The plan pursued Is purely one o
protection, kindness and encouragement
| Tho women are taught literature aud music
and whatever else they need; employment
sought for them, and In case OF women &c
duccd aud abandoned measures are taken I,
compel the seducer TO either marry tn
women or provide her suitable pecunlar,
supplies. Similar Protestant institutions ar
In operation In all the large cities.
These two reform establishments receive b.
law a dividend Of oil the fines levied Oi
prostitutes and dlsorderly houses, whlcl
enables them to greatly Increase their useful
ness.