Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-10-19
FOR SOCIAL PURITY.
Great Gathering at Baltimore OF
Bitter Foes to Vice.
Many Delegates In Attendance at the Ma
tionaI Purity Congrcss-An Outline
of the ObJectt of the
Organization.

BALTIMORE, Md, Oct. 15.--The most
influential movement ever organized
in this country for the abolition of the
social evil was formally inaugurated
Monday evening when the national
purity congress, comprising representa-
tives of all Social Purity, White Cross,
Moral Education, Women's Temper
ance union organizations, all churches
and other religious bodies and philan-
thropic associations in sympathy with
the objects of the congress, met at the
Park Avenue Friends Westinghouse
in this city. The congress includes
many of the same women who will at
tend the national convention of the w.
G. T. U. which will begin Friday.
Conspicuous among the early arrivals
at Monday nights meeting were Rev.
Antoinette Brown Blackwell, the first
woman in the world to be ordained as
a minister of the gospel; Mrs Charlton
Edholm of the Florence Crittenden
home for the rescue of erring
girls; Mrs. Mary Clement Leavitt,
around-the-world missionary; DIR. Mary
Wood Allen, national purity superin-
tendent of Michigan; Mrs. Dora Webb,
of Ohio; Mrs. Isabel Wing Lake, of
Chicago; Miss Frances Z. Willard, Mrs.
Mary A. Livermore, Mrs. Ormiston
Chant, Anthony Comstock, Elbridge
T. Gerry and Theodore Roosevelt.
The opening address was delivered
by President Aaron III. Powell of the
American Purity alliance. He re-
viewed the status of the social prob
lem in the leading cities of Europe and
| America and referred to the work to
be accomplished in this city. He made
special reference to the continued
existence of licensed and state regu-
lated vice in Europe, system which,
with the increased volume of foreign
travel, is a standing menace to purity
in America and Is largely responsible
for the efforts recently made in New
York to secure the passage by the legis-
lature of bill to license and legal
ize vice in certain districts of the city.
In the same connection similar move
ments which have recently been in
augurated before the legislatures OF
Massachusetts,, Missouri and Califor-
MIA and in the cities of Louisville, KY,
and Houston, Tex, were cited.
Mr.. Joshua Levering, president of
the Baltimore Young Mems Christian
association, and gubernatorial nomi-
nee on the prohibition ticket, vel
coined the delegates on behalf of the
Y. NJ. c. A, as did Mrs. Alice C. Robin
son, president of the local w. c. Il. U.
Rev. W. 7. Sabine, New York, and
Rev. Antoinette Blackwell responded.
Rev. S. II. Virgin, d. D., New York,
read a paper on the religious aspects
of the movement. The congress at II
o'clock p. m. adjourned until morning.
1.-THE American Purity alliance, in its pres
ent form, was Incorporated under the laws Of
New York state n few months ago for the pur.
pose of fighting bill to regulate vice which
was before the Albany legislature. Being
successful therein the membership was In
creased, and now includes persons actively
interested in purity in many states.
The specific objects of the alliance are statet
to be the repression of vice, the prevention o
its regulrtion by the state, the better pro
lection of the young the rescue OF the fallen
the extension of the White Cross among men
and to maintain the law Of purity as equally
binding upon men and women.