The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-11-15

oLlChOO oodih thCSO ltIIl6 ohCS,
indirect it is not appreciated.
This very day. as I write this,
l am investigating a case of i'm
morality among school girls in
one of our schools in one of the
best average neighborhoods in
Denver, and what is here investi-
gated is more than likely to exist
in every school in similar neigh
borhoods in this country.
These little girls are about 10
years of age. To look into their
pretty. innocent faces it would
seem almost sacrilegious to as
sumo that an evil thought ever en-
tered their minds, and, under de-
cent social conditions, such a
thought never would have enter
ed their minds.
The indecent literature circu-
lated among these girls started
upon its corrupting mission from
some source. The little girl OF
13 says that she worked in a de-
partment store during the sum-
mer. She testifies here In court
that a young woman she met
there told her many things she
did not know before, and from
her she obtained the notes that
started through the school. Now,
l believe that most young, self
supporting women are pure and
honorable, Notwithstanding the
difficult struggle they face. But,
of course, some of them are not.
This young woman earned 81
or IS per week. Cannot her
knowledge of vice be traced to
the pittance? The little girl
earned $3.50 per week. These
small earnings were in both cases
necessary to the support of poor
and yet families who in
and general DISPOSE
ton stand as high as the best.
Christ taught us to say, LEAD
us not into temptation" Surely
there was the inference from Him
boys and girls are tempted. to
that extent do we give evil the
best chance.
The well-dressed, comfortable
man and woman in the front
pew in the church, where these
teachings of Christ are supposed
to be inculcated, are in a large
measure responsible for the con-
ditions that are poisoning the
souls of these children, and the
is being hanged about
their necks when they least ex-
pect it. One of these little girls
may, and frequently does, come
from wealthy home.
She has associated with some
girl who has been subjected to
these evil communications. The
and vileness that men do
reaches down among the chill
dren. 1t spreads among them at
times and in spots like plague.
The young woman of 20, who
could not live on 81 a week and
had found it more pleasant TO en-
ter the primrose path that leads
to the everlasting bonfire, was
really a victim of her own condi-
tons, a victim of the society that
sacrifices her as long as those who
rule are sleek and fat and COM
But even they in the end must
suffer, as we must all suffer for
our selfishness and neglect. Our
unnatural and unjust social and
economic conditions are chiefly re-
sponsible for the impurity and
that are more and
more invading the child life of
the nation. 1t is absurd to say
that we had such conditions so orl
100 years ago. Fathers and
mothers who will get confidential
with their children and learn what
they know and what they think |
about and talk about, must admit
that such conditions were not
prevalent in their own childhood. |
The 16-year-old girls who worked |
long hours in the laundry orI
candy factory, arrested in wine
room or cheap dance hall and
brought to my court, might we'll |
EEL bitter at the social system
hat compelled them to suffer such
in their young lives.
they did not earn enough, they
said, to- live decently and wear
good clothes and 60 with nice
people, and they had to have some |
pleasure In life or the burden
would be impossible TO bear.
It Is true we cannot accept
these things as an excuse for inn
or crime In the particu-
ar individual, neither can We ig-I
aore them If we will do tustite and !