St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-02-28
Snares for Innocent Souls.
Baton Rouge Advocate.

Baton Rouge Advocate
The Advocate has had something t
say of the concert dance houses which
were reclartered" by act of the las
legislature duly signed by the right
hand of the Governor. Everybody
knows the character of these concert sa'
looms. They are traps for the unwary
feet of youth of both sexes, and drag
thousands of souls down to hell every
wear, which might have been saved for a
better destiny if they had not been
drawn within the vortex of temptation
The price paid to the State for the privi,
lege of setting these snares for the souls
of men and women, of boys and girls, is
from $4,000 to $1,000 a year, aud no doubt
the payment OF even this petty SUM is
often evaded on some preteXt or techni-
cality. Let it be remembered this H.
cense was granted in the very week that
the Governor and section of one-third
of each branch OF this legislature. with
furious protests of morality, refused to
submit the lottery amendment to Il vote
of the people, and not one of all these
ed in opposition to it. Its only oppo-
nents were nine Senators and nine Rep
resentativcs, all pro-lottery members.
If anybody wants to know what these
low "recha1 tered dives are doing for
the girls of the country, it will be sutfi-
cient to read an article in last Monday :
Picayunc, headed Unwilling Victims
1t presents the first phase of the tempta-
ton. 1t shows how vlrtuous girls are
enticed from their homes in other States
by deceptive promises to come to New
Orleans and enter upon Il life of shame
and dishonor. The traps have snares
set for the unwary feet of modest maid
enhood thousands of miles away, to be
dragged, body and soul, down to dis
grace and ruin. Now and then one of
these vlctlmes is saved, but most of
them are engulfed before a helping,hand
can reach them. Of the desparing souls
which are submerged, no voice comes
back from the abyss; the waters of
moral death close over them and they
sink into the depths with bubbling
groan, that hardly agitates the surface
of human life. Now and then one is
saved, and the world gets glimpse of
the horrors that are entwlned by design
ing men around the destlnies of these
girls. The Picayune'e article dis
closes a chapter in the life of Jennie
Reckweg, ii girl seventeen years old.
She was enticed from New York by the
agents of a Royal street dive" on the
deceptive offer of an honorable drama
tic engagement. She came to New Or
leans and was put in the "whirl" that
was expected to drag her down, as it
had thousands of others before her, but
her innocence and virtue triumphed
over the dangers that beset her, and she
was rescued by the intercession of
friends in New York and charitable
ladies in New Orleans. The rescue of
Jennie disclosed the fact that there were
six other girls, all from New York, who
had got within the coils of the same
concert saloon about the same time,
and were still held for their fate. One
of these girls, only fifteen years old, re-
fused to leave; three others, of almost
equally. tender age, were lost sight of and
still remain for the sacrifice, and the
two others went back home with Jen-
ME, glad to escape and be restored to
their friends.
The reader should remember that in
reading this brief recital be has entered
only upon the threshold of the horrors
that lie within the influence Of these
licensed hcil-boles.' 1t is the first
chapter, and may be called the "tempta-
ton of Eve" Next comes the tempta-
ton of Adam, then the tall Of both and
the curse of eternal years upon their
souls for a sin which baited a snare
that was set by the State, duly APPROX
ed by the right hand of the Governor,
for the pitiful revenue of few thou !
sand dollars year.