The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-15
LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT.

NJ. Powell, a New York business man,
who has given much study to all
phases of social problems. Many years
ago he was the editor of the Anti
Slavery Standard, a most energetic
organ of the aibolitionists. Speaking
of the purpose of the Baltimore
gathering he said: f'The congress is
invited because the time seems fully
to have arrived to give more thought
full Intelligent and general considera-
ton to the profoundly important social
problems involved.
s'My first interest in this subject was
aroused in 1885, he said, when few
of US formed a committee upon receiv-
ing a warning communication from the
International federation of England
for the abolition of state regulation of
vice, of which Mrs. Josephine z. Butler
is the heroic leader. She was the
pioneer in that revolt against infamous
legislation which shamed our statute
books, but is now, happily, only a dis
NAL memory.
eve were all shocked by the revela-
tons of Mr.. Stead in London in 1885,
The crimes against young girls were
appalling. Imagine the horror of our
own people. when it was found out
that although we protected the prop
our care ended there, as the law of
New York and nearly all the other
states made a child 10 years old legally
capable of consenting to her own ruin;
in Delaware at the shockingly Low
period of Z years.
'FThis subject will receive particular
attention during the congress, for al
though wonders have been accomplish
ed, much is yet to be done.
The Record BY States.
"There. are three states yet where
the age of consent is 10 years, four IL
years, three 13 years, twenty IA years.
two 10 years, twelve. including New
York, Is years, one II years, and two
IS years.
ETERNAL vigilance is our watch
word. Only few years ago efforts
were made to DOVER the standard in
New York. but our vigorous protests
caused the disreputafble scheme to be
defeated.
'fWe have worked quietly but eff
fectively." concluded Mr.. Powell, "and
if, as Gladstone, the grand old man,
says, THE true function of govern
ment is to make it easy to do right
and difficult to do wrong then we
ought to have the cooperation and
encouragement of every enc who has
future health welfare OIL Ine
human race at heart"
Helen F. Gardner, a witty, fearless
and handsome woman, who is going
to read a paper entitled, "Heredity and
Ethics on the first day of the COM
gress, is enthusiastic over the stimulus
to wholesome sentiment which will be
the natural outcome of this first
American Purity conference. "You
must not think we are intolerant in
our views" she said: "Our interests
are too broad and ennobling for that
We will touch upon every phase of a.
subject, the proper understanding of
which is bound to clear the moral
atmosphere.
Regarding state regulation, it goes
without saying that we are as a unit
and our efforts shall be unceasing to
raise the age of consent in the states
which still continue to submit to bar
barous legislation and allow their lit
tie girls to he held responsible for their
own undoing
IF there are good and legitimate
reasons (of which we are ignoranD for
such legislation-if there is any
father or brother who is a member of
any legislature of any state, who
honestly believes he is justified in vot-
ing for law by which protection of
the person is put on a lower plane
than protection OF the purse, we Will
be pleased to have him present his
case. Is not that fair?
kansas and Wyoming guard a girl
until is years of age. the age at which
the right TO honorable marriage or the
right to sell property comes to her. a
strange coincidence, is it not? that
these are the two states that have
allowed women a voice in legislation"
Dr. Emily Blackwell, the founder of
a womans college, and the fighter in
years gone by for womens right to
study medicine, is, by virtue of her
trained mind and cosmopolitan views,
the result of years of travel, we'll cal
culated to impress people with her
opinions The paper which she will
read at the congress- suggestions on
Purity Work Derived from English
Experience will embrace a wide
range of valuable and helpful infor-
nation.
She said: 1.-THE reason we dwell
upon municipal regulation so persist
ly is that it means retrogression. The
introduction of the system into Eng
land in 1864 first aroused public op-
position and discussion. Statistics, |