The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-25
THAT STUNNING TOUR.
DR.. Buchtel Thinks the Newspapers Do
Not Practice WHIST They Preach.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal.
desire to thank you for some sentiments
which you have expressed in your editorial
on Seeking the Unclean." 1.-The less peo-
pie in general, and especially young people,
are enlightened about certain classes OF
crime the better. Familiarity with vice does
not necessarily create contempt for it. 80
judicious ignoring of some of the evils
of life helps to preserve innocence" These
are golden words. / wish il might be posi-
bic for you to direct public attention to
these axioms in the science Of making
character at least once a week. Have you
considered what terrific indictment of the
press associations and of all daily newspa-
pers you have made in these words? Take
the matter in question as an illustration.
The report of the excursion made by Miss
Hay and her associates contains descriptive
matter wholly irrelevant to the report Of
the fact that such tour was made. i am
sure the large majority of readers of daily
papers-certafnly all parents guardians
OF children-would have preferred TO have
lines In which the mere fact was stated
that some ladies of the w. -. I. II. had
made tour in the night of certain dark
ana vie quarters OF the city. Of Chicago.
Instead of that we have a careful statement
or the localities in the city where these
things can be seen. Some faint effort APP
pears In the report TO place these sincere
and purposeful women into ludicrous situ-
atoms. The whole report is directly con-
quoted from the editorial of this morning
In the most respectful manner / desire TO
say that 1t would have been fair to wait a
rev days to ascertain what use these women
propose to make Of their newly acquired in
formation. 1t is certainly not fair TO an
nounce in advance that they propose to use
this information in addresses before the
audiences gathered by them in the prosecu-
ton of their work. 1t is tolerably certain
that they would not mention such vulgar
details as appear in the press report which
the Journal has printed with six rows of
headlines. 1t is known TO some of. your
find some practical way of recovering fallen
women TO life OF respectability. They de-
serve the unqualified sympathy OF all right
minded persons in this pious purpose. There
Is no doubt but that quite every daily news
paper, is in hearty sympathy with these
women In that purpose. 1t seems, there
fore, that the criticism which has been made
on them for visiting brothels is premature
and ungenerous. Executors of law ought
to visit such places every day in the dis
charge of their sworn duty as officers.
Surely it is eminently fitting that women
who are trying to rescue fallen women
terable depths of degradation to which
human beings can descend. If they think
IL wise or necessary that they should make
such a tour of the low dives certainly we
ought not to permit any faint traces of
ridicule to be put upon them by some I'M
find what he can find. For one, L wish the
press reports might be mercilessly and con-
scientiously edited.
In the event that this Summing tour had
been described in five lines we might then
have had an entire column for news OF
what done at the W. G. T. L. congress-
That would have been most welcome news
Miss Mollie Hay has long been known In
this city a woman of resource and char
acter. She has done many good deeds that
deserved to be Written up with startling
headlines. But her first recognition with
six rows of headli,es has come now
through this Summing incident of her
visit to the worlds congress of the w. q.
+. II. Verify, the press associations are
shown TO have very fine discriminating
talent in making choice of what civilized
people would estimate news"
HENRY A. BUCHTEL
Ind