The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-27
WHAT MRS. BARRETT SAID.
She Correct~ II MisstHtemenf Concern
ing the Rescue Work.

She COrrectS IA MisSfHtemem Concern
ing the Rescue Work.
Mrs. Kate Barrett accuses her friend
The Times of having Internationally mis-
represented her views in connection with
the Hope and Help Mission work.
Mrs. Barrel has been In timately connected
wit this work for seventeen years. and has
studied the subject in its practical and eth
ical bearing in every large city from san
Francisco to st. Petersburg, Russia. In
common with al The other deep thinkersand
refnrmers along this line, such as W. T.
Stead, Josephine Butler, and others, she is
opposed to the turning of these poor crea-
lures out in the street TO die Of cold and
starvation, but she believes that the philan-
thrnpic and Christian way To deal with
this subject is first tn open door OF hope
for them.
II after provision has been made TO ca re
for them until they can earn an honest liv
ing. they sun prefer To remain in the life
of sin, they should be dealt with as any
other criminals, putting them where they
can do the least damage 10 the community
al large. She is empha tic in her opinion that
public decency demands that the Division
be removed. OF course, in dealing with this
subject. she says, you need CoDsecrated com
mon sense.
Mrs. Barrett stated at the rescue meeting
yesterday that in no other city that she
has ever visited has the best part of it
been devoted TO this evil cutting off as
the Division does. the largest park in the
city from the use OF the public park which
in the long. no summer would be blessing
TO the stay-at-home population She depre-
Gated the blindness of the men of the city
who made it necessary that their wives,
their daughters, and their sons. in order To
visit some of the largest stores in the city,
must go within forty PAGES of this plague
spot.
Mrs. Barrett says She has learned from per-
sonal experience the sufferings which are
brought about by the fanatical zeal of the
unthinking when their souls are stirred
against this evil. She was in London at the
time of the great movement at the time
of the height of the conta gious disease acts.
and she saw hundreds of women crowded
together. without food or clothing. dying
like dogs and shuff!ed off to paupers'
graves.
In Atlanta, about five years ago. when a
system of raiding was inaugurated, two of
these poor creatures who had been driven
from post to pillar, no one to hold out Il hand
to them. said to the judge who sentenced
them to a fine and removal. In the name
OF God, judge, where shall we go?' The
judge could say nothing only that he must
pass sentence according to the law. The
next morning they were both found dead On
the steps OF a church, having suicided.
Mrs. Barrett thinks that the only way to
handle this evil is by building up a strong
public sentiment against it. She says that
laws are enforced. sometimes better, but
never worse, than public sentiment demands
that they be.
''Vox populi' is a power before which
the most INSCRIPTIONS, shifting polit :cian
must bow.
She pleaded for higher public sentiment
on this subject in Washington.
Mrs. Barrett is eminently practical, having
built three homes for these poor creatures
and been instrumental i'll opening many
more. The home she built in Atlanta, Ga,
has a grant of 5000 per month toward its
support from the city. About two years ago
Mr.. Charles n. Crittentun, the great million
aire philanthropist. of New York. put the
work of organizing his homes in Mrs Bar
rett's hands. There are twenty-three of
these homes, sheltering 5000 girls and 400
babies.