The Monitor-register., 1897-01-22
The White Gross Society.
BY 1sAnEL ovHanAN p1EHL

A"N>~s8A ~ Axs1AN OAhhA.
When any great work for the uplifting
OF the human race is to be done, there is
raised up prophet with clear, spiritual
vision, who is given power to see the
possibilities of the future which can be
wrought out Of the seemingly hopeless
present. Such one was Josephine
Butler. the nrst public champion of the
cause of "soeisl purity" Having lost,
by death, an only daughter, her great
sorrow led her to the work of saving the
daughters Of other mothers from that
which is worse than death. -.. .-.
For nearly twenty years this heroic
woman battled against the "Coptagious
Diseases Acts" in England and on the
Continent. She speaks of the work as
follows: "We perceive that the repeal Of
these Acts is the key to our future
work, as our opposition to them has been
the needful training for that work. We
see that all things are possible with God
that nothing can resist the progressive
force Of great principle and the aroused
conscience Of q great nation, and we are
led on step BY step to contemplate a
victory far beyond the defeat of this
unholy law, viz, the overthrow of the
permitted. systematic sacrifice to destruc.
ton, of ectiou Of the community fol
whom Christ died" About the year
1882 these laws we're rendered inoperat tive
and six years later she witnessed az
almost unanimous vote in the House Of
Commons for their repeal.
1t may be interesting for those who
have not looked into this work to know
what is meant by the "Contagious
Diseases Acts" In expls nation will
quote from an address BY Frances Willard
on "Social Purity, the Latest and
Greatest Crusade"
''In the year 1869, while studying in
Paris, used often to see passing along
the pleasant streets great closed wagons
covered with black. Inquiring of my
elegant landlady the explanation of these
somRre vehicles, she answered sorrow.
fully, 1t is the deasi monde who 20 to be
examined then learned for the first
time, that in Paris, fallen women have a
legal permit to carry on what ID q
recognised business, but must remain
secluded in their houses at certain hours.
must avoid certain streets, and must 90
once 3 week. under escort of the police.
to the dispensary for examination and
certificate that they are exempt from con-
tagious disease. Always, after that.
those awful wagons seemed to me to form
the most heart-breaking funeral process.
sion that ever Christian woman watched
With aching heart and tear-dimmed ewes.
Ii were asked why there has come
about such q levolution in public thought
that have gained the eoursgs to speak
OF things once unlawful to he told, and
that you may listen without fear of
criticism from any saws the base. my
answer would be, 'Beeause Lawmakers
tried to import the black wagon of Paris
to England and America, and Anglo
Saxon women rose In rebellion Even
worm will turn at last, and when her
degradation was thus deliberately planned
and sanctioned by the state, on the basis
OF securing to the stronger partner in 3
dual sin the same protection from natures
penalty which society had granted him so
long, and Of heapiug upon the weaker
partner in that gin all the disgrace and
shame, then wamanhood's loyalty to
woman was aroused, it overca me the
silence and reserve of centuries, and
Christsndom rings with her protest to.
day."
The brave work done by Mrs. Butler
and other noble workers, together with
the terrible exposures made by the Pail
Nall Gazette, with regard to the traffic
In young girls for immoral purposes,
finally led up to the purity crusade" of
1885. which swept from England and
from all English speaking people the
silence and false modesty on this most
diMcult and delicate suject. Ten years
have wrought great change among the
GLASSES and this leaven, It ia
believed, will finally permeate the minds
Of the masses. To day, as never before,
one standard Of morality for both men
and women, the white life for two," is
agitated by the press, taught from the
platform and preached from the pulpit.
But still more agitation is needed.
The White Cross Society was founded
by Miss Elics Hopkins, who has done
more than any ons elss toward develop
ing the preventive aide Of this work.
She is q woman of cultsre, born and
reared in the shadow of Cambridge Uni
versity. In her Christian work in London
she was 50 moved by the sorrows of
women that she determined to appeal to
The ehivafry OF men for their protection.
The great need Of this work is apparent,
md the facts which make it so are appal- |
ling. Words can not describe the black