The morning call., 1893-11-24
Every City in the State Repre-
Sented.
HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT.
With an Organized Effort the Ladies
Carried On Their Crusade
for Purity.

Francisco press by the women of Califor-
nia," regarding which extended notices
have been printed from time to time in
these columns. and in which subject much
interest has been awakened among all
classes and creeds in the city and through
out the State.
The position of this paper in the matter
of purity of the press is pretty generally
understood in this commu nifty, and 1t is
unnecessary to add that The CALL will
give in the future, as II has In the past, its
earnest and best support TO any movement
which the ladies or others may devise
which has for its object this commendable
and mucb-desired end.
The petition is addressed TO the news
papers of the city OF San Francisco, and
reads as follows;
We, the women OF California, present you
this petition, which, we believe, represents the
convictions OF many times the number of those
whose names are subscribed. We recognize
that the newspaper is Indispensable in
homes, and a. the guardians of family purity
we make this appeal.
We approve OF our papers in their energy
and enterprise, but We believe the time has
come for them to take a higher stand on the
question OF public morals. We deplore per-
sonalltleS, not the public announcement of
personal acts. We believe that il is a minority
OF your readers who demand sensational, per-
sonal or immoral details rather than the clean
statement Of facts and truth. There is too
often minuteDess OF detail in the re-
ports given of crime, wickedness and sensual
lty, Wnlcn can crafty only prurient and
vulgar curiosity, or awaken such curiosity in
Innocent and inexperienced minds. We feel
that spreading broadcast vicious ana debasing
views IN our homes and among our children and
the consequent knowledge and easy familiarity
with crime IN all its forms has a tendency 10
lower The tone OF thought among the best OF
our people aud o strengthen the worst instincts
among the morally lower classes.
We, therefore, most earnestly and respect
fully petition the press at this time 10 make
concerted effort to elevate the moral tone OF
their columns. and give us newspapers free
from the evils We drplore, feeling confident
that the majority of The public will encourage
such an effort and promising you our heartfelt
cooperation and support.
Then follows 34S typewriter pages of
manifold containing the signatures, en-
bracing over 10000 names. the greater por-
ton Of them being residents of San Fran
CISCO. Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley.
The organized effort for the publication
of the sensational press may be said to
have had It's beginning in the meeting of
October a, when about 100 ladies of this
city, heartily joined by many from A.a-
media County, met at Miss Mary 4. VESTS
school on Van Ness avenue. 1t was then
that the petition was decided upon, and
printed copies of it were circulated all
over Tor signatures. A committee was also
chosen to<ask the elergymen of this city
ansy lakiand TO preach on the 'Purity of |
Il. lheess' on Sunday. November H.
..4s. pre- the preachers expressed them |
a 3, shpug1. the ladies voiced their sem
IS Pretty thoroughly at a mass-meet- |
IN G9lden Gate Hall, on the night of |
lay, November g. About every seat |
w. occupied by lady when the presi- |
dens,. Mrs A. L. Bancroft. of the organiza-
tion opened the meeting.
Amopg the speakers we're Miss Sarah d.
Hamhn. Who used the Addie Gilmour case
as a textJ Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Stetson.
who talked. about the Functions OF the
Smith of Palo Alto, who attacked objec-
tionable advertising. Mrs. Dorcas Spen-
GER followed with suggest ton that the
women had remedy in their own hands
If they would use it and patronize only the
cIeanest papers. Addresses were also
of the Press" and by Mrs. DR.. Brown On
the work which the committee had accom-
plished; and papers were read by Mrs.
Cordelia Kirkland, Mrs. Lille j. Martin
and Mrs. Louise Humphrey Smith.
Success was assured, for the sanguine
spirit in which the ladies went about it
was irresistible.
The clergy took up the crusade in good
earnest on the 18TH. In many churches
sermons were delivered with the news
paper as the theme. In this city Rev. E.
r. Ollie of the Central Methodist Episco-
Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. w. Fl.
Moreand of 81. Luke's, Rev Fred b.
Pullen of the Third Congregational Church,
Rev. Il. II. Wikoff OF the Fourth Congre-
gational Church. Rev. T. Fl. Woodward of
the First Methodist Episcopal Church
Rev. II. Hammond Cole OF the Oivet Con-
gregatioral Church, Rev. NJ. J. FERGUSON
of the First Christian Church. Rev. Thomas
Filben of the California Methodist Episco-
pal Church, and Rev. John Q. Adams If
the Wes minister Presbyterian Church, de-
voted their best efforts to the subject, and
in Oakland the question was discussed in
the pulpit By Rev. Robert F. Coye at the
First Presbyterian Church, Rev. S. j. !
Goodenough at the First Universalist
Church, Rev. j. r. Eddie at the Fourth
Congregational Church. Rev. Campbell
CoyIe at the Centennial Presbyterian
Church, Rev. w. Rad r at the First Con-
gregatlonal Church, Rev. c. w. Wendte at
the First Unitarian Church. KEY. c. 81. |
Hobart at the First Baptist Church. and |
Or. S. j. Carroll at the Eighth-avenue
Methodist Episcopal Church. In Berkeley
Rev. E. B. Payne, the Unitarian minister |
addressed his hearers on it.
On the day before the recognized leaders |
of Hebrew religious thought in this city |
apd Oakland had given their views, Rabbi |
Jacob Vo0rsanger at the Temple Emanu- |
FL, Rev. DR.. Levy at the Geary-street |
Temple and Rabbi M. FriedIander at the
Still another sermon on the pertinent
subject was yet to cOme-that of DR.. a. c. |
Hirst at the Simpson Memorial Church on
the 18th inst.
OF the 10000 signatures to the petition
the ladies may we'll feel proud. All in all,
it Is very characteristic document.
About every city and town in this State
Is represented, and conspicuous are lists of
ames from the various schools and edul
cationa institutions.
The list is headed Dy Mrs. A. l.. Ban
croft, the president, The list of vice-pres-
dents published by THE CALL of the 7th
INST, and Miss Frances A. Dean and Mrs.
u. RANSOM, the secretary and treasurer
respectively.
Inc ladies who have entered so earn
esuy into this work have done it thor
ougnly and well. The canvass has been ex-
senoea to all portions of the city and the
Snutehes s nave III materially aided in swell
ihs Tile Voluminons lists of signers.
National Republican Club.
Inc Republicans of +hie o;,,, lid