The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-14
Why Poor Girls Go Astray.

Portland Telegram.
Ida Fanshaw, one OF the leaders OF the
demi-monde, says that II DR.. Locke or
any other accredited agent of the society
TO establish a home of refuge for fallen
women will call upon her and show her
that the promoters are sincere and prac-
teal. she will donate 500 toward the
fund.
II will give that amount" she contin..
ued, because / would like to see women
get out OF the business. II the home can
be made successful no one would be hap
pier than /. Persons who have had ex-
perience In this mode of living know that
there is not any money in 1t for the girls.
and there Is certainly no permanent plea
sure. Whatever enjoyment there may be
In 1t for the women in wine. song and
men. Is fleeing and evanescent, OF today,
with nightmare on the morrow.
Dozens. in fact. hundreds OF times
during the past year OF dullness. young
women have come to me desiring to COM
mence business In my house, End
have Invariably refused 10 take them In"
WAS ii moral motive that kept you
from taking them?" was asked.
II am not making any pretensions to
morality" was the reply, but that had
something 10 do with 1t. / want women
OF experience here, not those who have
Elusive notions OF the requirements and
the profits. Most of those that have
come to me were ignorant OF the real
conditions. A great many of them were
working in stores about town earning So
to so per week which they found INSULT
cient to support probably a mother or an
invalid relative. All of them were driven
here by poverty. and each had doleful
story.
Now II these moral people-the preach
ers and enthusiasts-want to save women,
why do not they help the young girls? It
seems to me TO be easier and more profit
able TO keep pure women from evil than
to make an evil one pure. And, again.
j do not believe that one fallen woman
out OF a hundred can be reformed perma-
nently. have had experience and ought
TO know. Though they may enter a homo
OF refuge, IL Will be because OF the pres
sure OF hard times. They will go back
TO the old life as soon as II becomes re-
muneratfve. which will be when the hard
times are gone.
NOW, since you cannot save fallen
women. would 1t not be much better to
help the young girls? Poverty drives
women TO prostitution; this Is the cause
in the great majority OF cases. and habits
acquired in years OF prostitution--indo-
lence. careiessress and loss OF self-re-
spect-cannot be eradicated. II the poor
young women were cared for, there
might be fewer women of town In tho
next generation.
II don't attempt to justify my position
In lie, but the women In my house have
had experience. and as experienced
women cannot .be reformed why should
they not remain here? | don't make my
money out OF the girls. but by selling H.
quors. II the city council responds 10
that church petition by passing ordi-
nance forbiddlng US 10 sell drinks every
house VIII close NJ.
THE moral crusade should commence
at the beginning. not at the end. Let tbs
preachers care for the poverty-strtcken
families In which there are young girls.
Then they would not be forced upon ths
streets 10 earn clothes and food. IL the
fallen women are arrested and fined they
are not reformed. nor can they -
changed by being cared for afterwa -ds.
Only in one case out of hundred is there
"A good result. The proposed home In tho
Whitechapei district may secure many
occupants. but walt TIL times are good
again. and then you'n see them 20 back"