The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-10-19

Temptations Will Be Lessened.
darlington. Iowa, Oct. 19.-The ma
tlonal purity congress which meets in
this city today for four days ses-
sion. is easily the most important
Gathering OF reformers. religious and
social workers. and philanthropists our
country has seen in many months. The
congress Is international as wen as
non -sectarian in character. In view
of the awakened conscience of the AM
erican people on the vital question Of
great Importance OF this gathering
could not be over estimated.
The delegates now arriving in large
numbers from every section of our
country give no indication of being
made up of the proverbial long haired
men and short haired women that we
we're wont to look for at reform gath
erings. but on the whole they are as
fine and earnest a body of men and
women, and men are by no means n
scarce article here. as ever assembled
uplift of humanity. Rev. Jenkin Lloyd
Jones of Chicago. some years ago
when preaching his famous sermon,
mo Sex in Crime" which dealt entire
" with the problem of social purity,
introduced his subject with these
words Long have I waited the COM
ing of grey hairs which would justify
plain speech in this matter" But were
MI Jones here today he might quick
" see that grey hairs are no longer
considered necessary for the fullest
and planest discussion of these great
questions. In fact number of the
leading speakers are still on the
morning side Of the meridian OF life,
and the president OF the congress, a
Young man of intense activity has de-
voted every day OF his time to the
purity movement since he was "a years
Of age.
Would Lessen Temptations.
No better idea could be had of the
purpose of this convention than
glance through the published program
gives. The problems which are to be
dealt with are the same that every
young man and young woman, every
boy and girl, has to meet in life with
temptation, vice and debauchery ON
every side. 1t Is the hope of these
workers that through proper training
educational methods. the enactment
and enforcement OF good and whole
some laws, and the proper warnings
for our young that temptations may
be lessened,. vice suppressed and open
debauchery checked. The program
covers every phase of the purity move
ment, including preventive. education
al. law enforcement. rescue and sani-
tary lines of effort, the white slave
traffic social diseases and good health
topics
The press of late has had much 10
say about the white slavN traffic'
which is the most shocking VI evils
and much more widespread tllan most
good Americans imagine. This is one
phase of the purity movement that VIII
he threshed out and on which some
drastic action will undoubtedly be tax
en-
The Great Moral Agencies.
But the white slave-traffic Is on.v
on phase of the purity movement
Other phases are of even greater I'M
portance because they involve an IN
1ntely larger number of persons-the
millions OF boys and girls and youns
mon and Young women of America. III
Is the belief Of the members of TINS
convention that every person mas
right to know all there is to know
about themselves, and that this known
edge properly given by the three grea'
moral agencies, the home. the schoo
and the church. will furnish the pes'
possible protection against the ruina-
tion of our boys and girls. EspeciaiiS
is this true with respect to SEX tn'
birth OF children. marriage. etc. Al
the knowledge which young people ge
relative 10 these subjects now comes
20 them either from impure sources ol
else In the form of double meanns
jokes whereas IL the Thought
these purity workers was carried on
every boy and girl would be fully an'
truthfully told as they grew up of tn
facts of sex, of its Importance ant
shielded from many temptations an
pitfalls.
Many Addresses on Program.
rhe great interest OF the congrcs
cehters in the program itself, an
wnile there Is great purpose an
"'''sion back of the movement II I
reahy here that the Significance of thi
s"'hering Is seen. No movement NJ
iouhded upon a nationally felt nee,
.ou'd command the influence sufficien
70 secure so large n number of emf
"ent speakers and workers. More tina
iVty persons are scheduled 10 delive
u'resses or read papers on the i'm
por'ant themes to be considered. The
"'e IN every case of national and 1