The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-06-16

Editor Astorian. When an abuse or a
nuisance exists an offended public in.
stinctively turns at once to the leading
newspaper as a medium through which
conditions fayoring relief may be
brought about. The fact that the Astor.
ian Is a powerful champion Of justice
and morality, and the existence Of an
abuse which reeks with the odor Of it,
victims and il an offense TO every man
woman and child in our city, constitute
the excuse for this communication.
Supposing Astoria to be a city Of
average morality, can a more dangerous
crime against that morality be imagined
than exists in the four dance halls which
nightly disport the allurements Of from
so to 100 lalf.clad girls and women as
an enticement for boys, men. yes and for
other girls and women 10 forsake vir.
tue and enter upon their ruin! Would
any other American city at this day
tolerate such an abominationi Is it not
time Astoria has forever outgrown this
cancerous and ghastly relic for the pro-
prieties'
How this portion of the city could
have been so long suffered TO flourish in
a city OF ten thousand virtuous and re.
spectacle religious people-at least three
fourths Of them religious peoples a
mystery. How many Astoria homes
would not be highly insulted II charged
with having any connection with or re-
sponsibility for this outrage' And yet
we nurse II and II thrives upon us
Seven nights in the week boys and girl
are baited TO their destruction. Surely
1t is only permitted because universe
condemnation has not yet produced
unity Of action, for no sane person de
fends such institutions unless pecuniar,
interested.
Many parents do not know what in
ducements the dance halls extend Il
their children. 4 man who has frequent
ed these places says:
"You would hardly believe me il
should tell you the names of the many
boys and girls whom I personally know
made their start in lives of sin and dis
grace in these dance halls, for there ar
lot Of them. Some people say dane
halls are a necessary evil to attract I
certain class of men who bring money 4
the town, but that is all rot. II yo'
could see the boys-many of them from
our so.called best families--who go Il
these places you would say close then
up quick At first they 90 only to lOol
on, and the sight of half.naked girl
and women is considerable Of curosit!
to the average youth possessed with tn
usual desire to see something of thu
world, and in the mixture of wine anC
women that generally follows modest!
and virtue are destroyed and habits ar
formed which separate boy from hi
mothers influence and which would sep
arate him, but too often does not, from
the society of all respectable women.
Many of these boys would not dare t.
90 there were it not for the example o
certain men, and may be often seen il
their haunts regardless of influence sucl
conduct has upon the youths who are toC
prone to Use their examples as an ex
cuse for initiating them. l have Otter
seen girls of apparently not more thar
fourteen or fifteen years in the danc'
halls. Once they are induced to go ther'
and dance, then it is good.by girls"
Can it be that the decent people o.
Astoria, who are so vastly in the major
ity, have endured this curse so long thai
they deem it incurableI So little i,
said against them that the proprietor'
of these places of vice have come to i'm
agine the religious and moral people t
be quite satisfied to have them remain
Shame on the church peoplel Is it pos
sibe that the city officials, apparently
so fond of running an open town are on
ly waiting for public sentiment to crys
tallize on these subjectsg Or are city
officials supposed to be possessed of nj
personal or official discretion in the mat
ter of civic moral welfareg
CITIZEN.
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