Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-03
GIVES DISCOURSE ON
RUIN BY DANCE HALL
"MOTHER" ROBERTS TALKS ON
SOCIAL EVIL
Warns Parents of Dangers That Beset
Their Daughters When They Give
Them Education in Grace
full Arts

'As for the dance halls, though it
may cost me my life, 1 denounce them
all. make no exceptions. Every one
Of them is a monstrous iniquity," said
Mother Roberts yesterday afternoon,
speaking on the subject of "The Child
church. The meeting was presided
over by Mrs. Catherine Pierce Wheat.
There is not and never can be such
thing as a respectable public dance"
said the speaker. 1.-THE press and the
pulpit are doing their utmost to re-
press this monster octopus, and 1 pray
God they may succeed, for, in a large
measure, thus will the social evil be
consigned to oblivion.
'The public dance hall is the re-
cruiting station for numberless girls
who must fill the places of those who,
before them, started through these
avenues to slide down hill-the hill
which the world at large helps to
grease, and soon, so soon, the bottom
is reached.
"Who searches for them then
Mighty few, comparatively speaking
But there are some who can give truth
full information as 1t comes from the
victims of the dance halls.
Mothers have had their daughters
taught to dance when they were quite
young in order that they might become
graceful. They little dreamed that the
day would ever come when their inno-
cent girls would, through the dance,
become so disgraceful that to face their
mothers again would be an tmpossi-
bility.
81 met a poor girl in one of the low
dance halls. She was then battered,
bruised, painted and loathSome object
of only % years of age. Once she was
the petted daughter of one of the most
refined and exclusive families of Cali
fornia.
'I took tea one day with an outcast
who had her school teachers diploma
hanging on the wall Of her own pri-
vate room. Why do you Keep that
there?' 1 inquired. TT is one reminder
fell through the dance. 1t was at a
picnic. The news soon spread and I
was ostracised. I drank to drown
memory and trouble. Here I am! 1t
will not be long now before the end!
Ohl I know it, I know 1t, and yet.
Mother Roberts, 1 am only one OF
thousands who could tell You their dis
grace from falling through the dance.
All my educational knowledge and the
training of others has failed to save
me. oh God! il there Is God, help
me, If it is not too late!'
BewalIs Daughters Downfall
cOnQuCLoQ Lne IuH6Tdl SeTNlC0 IOl
a beautiful girl not long ago. She had
committed suicide. My message was a
tender appeal to the living. The au-
dience was entirely of the demi-monde
About 140 grief-stricken girls were
present. The broken-hearted parents
were in nearby hotel while this
service was being conducted, for which
they had given their consent. Hear
tie mothers message to other parents
She and the father were about to re-
turn to the east with the casket con-
tanning the remains of their once beau
tiful and highly educated daughter OF
28 wears of age. She pathetically said
to me: 'Ohl my lost darling, my baby;
would TO God I had died for herI'
"'Oh, wonder If other mothers are
as weak and foolish and lovingly in
dulgent as I was with my darling!
No wish Of hers was ungratified,
though / knew many were harmful
Rut she always coaxed so sweetly that
she oyerruled all my objections. Oh,
If had but trained her as she should
have been, as 1 knew was wise and
right. she would have been happy and
alive and we'll today, Mrs. Roberts,
nIease beg the mothers not to allow
their daughters to go unchaperoned.
please tell them to instruct their
daughters to know and understand
themselves before they are In their
teens ITO tell them of the pitfalls dug
for their innocent feet, particularly
through the dance, for that was where
NV lost girl got acquainted with the
viiIain who accomplished her ruin
actually married her and put her in
~ ho,ysa where she took her life.' "