The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-08

! very fiber of the warp and wool Of his
| character is impaired. He carries with
him memories. undying memories, of a
| guilty past. of evasions to hide the
wrons, which are fatal to the funda-
mental idea of purity and truth The
| ruin of character is more sad than ans
wreck that was ever cast upon a rocky
shore.
The causes of this vice in its ggan-
| tic proportions are not far to seek. In
| the city of Corinth the temples of
Venus and Bacchus stood side by side.
| The shrine of the latter was held 10
be the support of the former-a rela-
ton which has been maintained down
to our day. The stage, the concert hall
and the ball must shoulder large re-
sponsibility. To elevate either or all
of them is as remote as it was three
thousand years ago.
Another cause is found in the itefa-
ture of this day. The scrofulous novel,
the scandalously illustrated weeklies,
the debasing brilliance of some English
poets, the unnecessarily extended no.
tice given daily to every crime against
good morals. each and all must answer
for material contributions to the moral
degradation of society.
But no matter what the causes of the
evil, ii is here and must be dealt with,
and in dealing with il it's extent must
not be moderated. The fires of lust
nave petfl DuFHiHS THESE IIdilN cefltuf-
les in a fallen humanity. and may not
be easily extinguished The struggle
will be arduous and long. If the pow
ers of darkness aid anybody. ii Is those
who seek the corruption of the social
life of community or nation.
There are those who have concluded
that the evil IS "A necessary one, and
therefore is to he accepted. condoned
and regulated. The consensus of opin-
ion is very general now that the Ii
censing and regulating of this evil is
a failure as far as protecting the COM
munity from its most direful conse-
quences is concerned. In Paris, where
this system is in vogue. the sanitary
statistics prove that prostitution is in
creasing and that il is becoming more
dangerous to the public health" One
experiment Of this kind was made i'm
this country. in the city of st. Louis.
1t was failure in sanitary, restric-
tive and in every possible sense. In
Berlin, where the license system is and
has been in practice. ii is shown by
actual figures that in five years the
evil has increased 80 per cent. The re-
suit of license is always bad. 1t is
inadequate for its avowed purpose. 1t
simply Increases the deprayity of the
depraved. 1t gives not the slightest
consideration to the woman. but it
steadily destroys the last remnant of
her self-respect. The many crimes
committed by her in her horrible life
arise from the indignant despair and
hopeless debasement to which this un-
just system of license and regulation
condemns her. The evil of the license
system is summed up in this way: 1t
confers the sanction of law upon the
barbarous trade in woman. ii fosters
vice instead of preventing" it, in that
II contemplates opportunity, facilities
and safety for the guests who are
lNa,N tas,.
makes permitted trade of the cruel
and dastardly occupation of the pro-
curer and procuress.
1t fails 10 protect the health of the
community because ii does not adopt
any precaution against the spread of
venereal contagion by the fallen men.
for whose indulgence it provides.
The districting of the evil has been
attempted, but found equally unavail-
inS The experiment was tried in
Rome. Italy, and Toxic Japan. Card-
nal Smeoni has declared that the at
tempt in Rome, in his judgment. was
stupendous failure; that the church
had used every effort to reclaim the
fallen, when so environed by the police
and placed in locality where ii could
put it's hand upon them, but to no pur-
pose. In Toxic the government has en-
tire charge of the system, derives ex-
tensive revenues as the result and un-
uGI iHt. tOut III Morals, from
which sexual morality is practically
excluded, it is said to he Il success so
far as engendering public peace and
quietness. Such course naturally de-
stroys all appreciation of vice as vice.
Now let me state few principles
which should guide us i'm dealing with
this matter: Rescue homes should be
organized and maintained by munich
palty and state, as we'll us by volun-
tary gifts of philanthropic citizens for
the reclamation and Characterization
OF erring women. That this can be
done Is now generally admitted.
Through Florence Crittendon homes
and similar institutions of various
names thousands have been rescued
from life of. shame and returned to
their friends, hundreds have been mar
ried and are In happy homes. and many
are earning an honest livelihood. The
women of our land can do much to en-
courage this work, persistent effort
along this line having been crowned
with success everywhere. But let the
rescue work reach out towards the
fallen man, as well. So far the efforts
have been one sided. At the National
Purity congress ii was asked WHY
not rescue the men? What are we do
ing for the outcast men? Did Christ
come only to save women Save the
fallen men and there will be no such
a thing in the land as an impure wo-
man. No one To help them mp nor to
tell them how utterly lost they are
and few realizing what unfit compan-
ions these polluted creatures are for
pure women. The cry of the hour. in
deed the demand. should be a mission
to fallen men,
Again, enforce rigidly the ordinances
and statutes against this vice. 1t is a
libel on man, made in the image of
God. 10 say that there is any crime
from which ii is impossible for him to
refrain. We have failed hitherto be-
cause we have attempted suppression
in the wrong way. The eminent
French minister. Guyot, has made an
extensive study of this subject, writ
ten an able work, and reached the con-
clusion that abolition is the proper
thing He urges that the evil is a
moral and personal question, and there
Is no good reason why il should be rec
ognized by protecting law. Every Of
Tense against morality should he Sc
Nerely punished. In our law adultery is