The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-03
IS PRosTITUTloN LEoALf

To The Forum The following in
stitutions dedicated by God have been
established at Fargo for the purpose
of doing good:-St. Mary's cathedral.
Zion Evangelical church. the Glad It'd
ings Mission. Swedish Lutheran
church, the Salvation Army. Presby-
terrain church, First Methodist Episco-
pal church, Norwegian Baptist church,
First Church of Christ, st. Marks
English Evangelical Lutheran church,
Norwegian Synod, Plymouth Congre-
gational church, First Congregational
church, Episcopal Gethsemane Cathe-
dral, Pontoppidan Norwegian Luther
an church and many others / have not
mentioned, and now with all these
churches, the ministers and Congrs-
cations, assisted by the Y w. c. A.
and the officers of which there are
many, and to cap the climax, the Good
Government league. backed up by the
Fargo Commercial club, an institution.
to which, none but gentlemen of Gull
ture and refinement and good address
are admitted,-an organization OF
which there is a membership OF 206
of the picked men of the city, and a
police force armed with clubs and re-
volvers.
Now, as l stated before, with all
these churches, ministers and congre-
cations and with all these clubs, orders
and societies OF varied character and
women members of which. are contin-
ually Boosting OF doing good, and now
with all these qualities and with pow
er God has given them to do good, and
- a.. 1s3 -
about two dozen prostitutes. And you
have beel endeavoring to do this, for
the past eight years, and you are as
far back today as you were eight years
ago.
Might it be a fair question to ask il
prostitution is legal in the u. s. 1t
looks very much like it now, now
would it do any harm to ask, who own
these brothels on Tnird street?
The possibilities are, the owners are
members of some church here in Far
60, and L would not be surprised il
they class themselves with the best
society.
say Gentlemen: Let me tell you
something, il you are married men,
and numbered as to the foregoing,
would think your wives would be
ashamed to walk up and down Broad
way.
Say Ladies Those of you, you who
are married. and If your husband is
connected in any manner as outlined
above, If you want a divorce, l think
that that crime alone would be suf-
fcient to get you one. If your hus-
band is the owner of one of these
brothels on Third street and has been
receiving rent from the inmates Of the
same, then your husband has no re-
spect for women or girls. and besides.
ne is using you also only for q tool.
All these religious and uplifting in
stitutions brought forth founded and
dedicated to Gods service, have done
but little good, to lessen the leprosy
called prostitution In our midst.
Wasn't Mr.. Crittenton whom God
called upon the other day TO visit
Fargo to inform the people Of the
evil of prostitutes and prostitution and
the buying and selling of young girls
to the markets of this damnable waite
slave traffic.
Mr. Crittenton, while addressing a
large gathering OF citizens here, made
Tic EIO<A@ AhASA1AS DA AVS @cAAAAA8 4S
how to get rid OF this great evil, but
turned his attention to the San Fran
cisco disaster Of a few years ago,
stating that God knew His bust
ness, when He struck the fatal blow
to that great city OF the west. He said
1t was quite wise undertaking for
God to demolish the whole city OF San
Francisco, on account Of the prostt-
tutes 1t contained.
Would 1t not nave been better If
God had destroyed the prostitutes and
their homes alone? Why did He de-
stroy city OF 100000 souls? just be-
cause He got angry at few prosti Il
tutes and their following?
1 would rather believe good God
would use better judgment than that.
If MIR. Crartenton's doctrine be true.
God may cause tine same character OF
destruction In Fargo or elsewhere, as
was wrought in the great city OF san
Francisco.
There is but one way to rid our city
of this terrible evil. that IL by paying
little more and closer attention to
the municipal elections.
You must endeavor to do better in
the future than you have done In the
past. Go into the election to win. n