The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-01-26
wisconsin Women Awake.


The awful condition of morals in the Wisconsin
pineries as described by DR.. Kate bushnell, aHa
indicated by the sad circumstances in the case oI
moor nm fortunate Hattie Nathan, mentioned IN
these columns, has aroused the women OF WIS
eonsiu 10 action, ana now something IN the way
of a genuine reform may be looked Ior u may
be /, wise dispeusati0n of providence, after an,
that mans selishuuSs has kept the ballot from +
woman. For OF all the con'emPtiote e1WaIdS on
earth the most despicahle Is legislative hjiy or
set OF executive officers who with convincing tF-
idcule before them Of the existence of the most /
dannable Gcns OF brutal vice and bestial crime
lied. viii not move toward their suppression ana I
determination for fear Of losing vote! Bat The (
women hayn't Vet fallen under this repressNe .
influence and they take hold OF a moral reform /
in a way which takes NO thought of prince or f
potentate or sovereign NoEer, bat when deata ~
reetly with the matter IN mana. ahd-le'"5lt
plishes desired results. 1t Is blessing IN tals 4
emergency that Wisconsin has an army OF brave +
women who. posScsSiuga moral courage all TOO
plainly lacking iu their husbands, brothers and
sons have gFappied with the enemy that Is dc +
Stroying homes ana Nreckiug lives and they
will surely eNterminate hin-
We clip the above from The Duluth
News Of recent date, We doubt not
the report about the magnitude Of the
crimes alluded TO are somewhat glar
ingly eo,ored, vet the fact remains
that the best that could be said Of the
matter is all too bad, Neither is Wis
consn the only plague spot on the
earth Duluth is no better than
North Wisconsin, but that does not
excuse US or warrant us in maintain
ing or even tolerating the crimes just
ly laid at our doors, however much we
may trim off the toughest edges. We
may dispense with the high picket
fences about these wells OF iniqnity,
and prove the canine watch deg stor-
les all false, yet the dives Of shame
still remain, and the human watch
dogs, more debased ana Of less char
aCter, than their four footed allies, are
things real We do not have to go TO
Hurley, or Tower or Ely to fnd case
to prove the record. That is one of
our weak spots. We are all the time
looking away off in the distance, to
see clouds Of discomfort, vice or cruel
ty. Why do we not look at home2 In
stead of reading the above lecture to
The people of Wisconsin, why did not
the News take our text, if it SO desir-
ed, and lecture for the benefit Of its
own people: This is only a suggestion.
We need the lecture, and we are glad
we got it. Look at our own beautiful
little city of only 5000 PEOPLE. Look
at cur eighty saloons, oar lowest kind
of variety theatre, and score or more
houses Of PROSTITUTION. 1t is not long
since we have heard men who stand
well in society, go to church, on sun
day, etc, say. oh, well, the saloon,
the variety, and the prostitute are nee
essary evils, and no city can prosper
without them" Oh Shame, where is
thy blush! But what do we find to-
day. We find that the saloon and the
prostitutes have well nigh got control
of the town. Our village VIII for 5000
give the devil license to send any Of
his most debased servants to our town,
and open one OF these holes Of perdit-
ion on the most public corner Of our
streets if he 50 desires. The only eX-
cuSe offered is that ii is a necessary
evil and the town gets $500 revenue.
Look at the scene enacted in one Of
our houses Of prostitution a few days
since, when a prominent business man
and a village official came to blows all
on account of one OF these "so.led
doves" The prostitutes of Superior
have become SO defiant and Tod that
Nj President Padon Of the Council
has had to change his views and de
clare them d nuisance instead Of
blessing in disguise, and ordered the
Chief OF Police to see to It Tat every
house was closed. If President Paden
means what he says, and has the back
bone to enforce his order to The letter
We are ready 10 shout in true Method
istic style, thank God for Presidai
Paden.' ana We Pledge him our vote
/ for reelection in the Spring
with these things existing right in
our own town, Why does 50 many PEG
/ PIE try to prove that III. Kate Eu~h-
4 nell is net telling the truth about other
+ places? Why do not we go 10 work to
I purify our own community? 1t Will
then be time enough to investigate
/ Kate BushneIrs stories about other
points in Wisconsin ana Minnesota.
/ Yes, we are glad that our women have
/ taken hold Of the matter They viii
be a tower Of strength in holding up
I the hands Of such men as President
/ Padcn, and we hope TO see the conflict
continued until every foe is vanquish-
ed. The evil is with us and there IS no
use to Try to deny it. low long We viii
foster it is another question.