The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-10-25

Seven members OF the Women's
Christian Temperance Union won't
stunning in Chicago. They were ac-
companicd by detective, and the hus-
band OF ono of the women. They WIS.,
tied the dens in which fallen women
find Judgement and drive 4 vicious
traffic
Three Of the party were given a view
OF nude dance in n private parlor."
They were all Mortified. What they
cav was far beyond their expectation.
Two Of the women were much overcome,
resulting in condition that borders
on nervous prostration," says one OF the
sisters OF the union. 1t was frighttul
experience.
The aim OF the tour OF the dens OF in-
fanny was to discover what brought their
inmates to their low estate. Those who
were willing to talk about it said it was
lack of work. The visitors saw the fall
on ones drinking and smoking cigar
cites, "facts OF great importance in our
crusade against strong drink and tobac-
co, for they show that the use OF either
may lead to fearful results"
It is true beyond question that many
q poor girl thinks she is driven to life
OF shame because she cannot earn an
honest living and has no friends. Just
as undcniably there are those who pre-
Ter to tread tho downward path rather
than 10 do such work rs they can got.
Too proud to do what they consider
mental work, for example, but not too
proud to lead life OF sin.
The good women who went Summing
misapprchend the situation with re-
gard to drink and tobacco. There are
American women who smoke, but the
practice is not common among them.
Theoretically, tobacco may be degrad-
ing. Certainly its use by women is not
to be commended. All the same, it
used to be common enough on the
plantation and on the western farm Of
southern settlement. Plenty OF this
generation eau recall the old grand
mother, some the honored mother, who
sat by the lireside drawing comfort from
pipe. These women wcro good moth
ers and true wives, as are their sue
cessors who have inherited the pipe.
1t is not fondness for tobacco that
drives women to life that is worse
than death. Strong drink makes its
contribution to the stock in trade OF
the brothel. 1t figures as prime
cause and as n collateral cause, but its
quota is not largo comparatively. The
use OF intoxicants and OF tobacco among
degraded women is much more a result
than Il cause OF the life they lead.
1t is not necessary for sensitive
women to expose themselves to the
pain OF Summing tour to learn what
it is that brings the uniortunates
whore they are, 1t is 0u old subject
and no new lights are to be thrown on
it. 1t has 10 do with human nature,
which has not changed greatly from
the beginning.
For every fallen woman there has
been fallen man. There are exccp.
tons, but the great peopiing OF the
cities oil the lost is due to the porfdy
OF men, or the love OF SNOWY raiment,
or both. Any analysis Of tue question
which leaves out these prime factors is
faulty and leads to wrong conclusions.
In tho art gallery at the Worlds Fair
is terrifying painting, Don Juan in
He'll" his victims there to add to tho
torture Don Juan is type.
There might DO no gill OF strong drink
made, no ounce OF tobacco produced in
all the world, but the absence OF these
would not deprive the dens OF iniquity
of that they feed on. A crusade against
such evils as the temperance women
saw will have to be based on something
that is broader and that strikes deeper
than mere abstinence from strong drink
and tobacco, however doiirablo that
abstinence may be.
The way to root put the social evil has
not been discovered. Summing tours
by good women will not do it.
Nh. PRESIDENT, the lNTELLIGENcER
bows its acknowledgements. You have