The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-15
TOURISTS AND NATIVES BOTH
: (By THE RELI GIOUS RAMBLER.)

n My way out for a girl has been by
the hospital (and, significantly, a large
hospital is maintained in the YOshiWa-
ra for the inmates and their peculiar
diseaseS), by marriage or by suicide
The beautiful lacquuered carvings OF
the background Of the cages, and the
lavish and lovely dresses, do not con-
ceal the horrible realities behind it all
Six Thousand Girls Flee Fire.
The population Of the Yoshiwara is
indicated by the fact that upon the
occasion Of the recent fire which COM
number Of girls who fled from the
flames-not all successfully, how
ever-was officially given as six thou
sand. Practically all Of these were
kept in hand by h prOprietOrS, who
have opened temporary quarters on
the site Of the burned structures.
In the accident of the fire the ad-
vanced sentiment of the city, and Of
the nation, for the YOshiWara is really
a national institution. saw an oppor-
tunity to abolish or restrict this in
ly knows Japan supposes for a mo-
ment that the legaliZatiOn Of vice
either diminishes the social evil or
enters it safer. On the contrary, it's
der1oralizing effect upon the nation is
such that there is no nation on earth
which, as a whole, practices or appre-
ciates sexual purity less than the Jap
anese. The state Of the morals Of
the student population, Of both sexes
IS such as to give concern to even the
most hardened rOues m Q the ma
tons statesmen.
The Christians especially, who try
to maintain a New Testament stand
ard Of life, are concerned over the
rampant and shameless social evil,
Uh j0h III anon CO for hnhinG tho
civilized nations, and has made her
first in the traffic Of shame, not only
within her own borders, but also
throughout the whole length Of the
coast Of Asia The sentiment quickly
crystaIlized, and such a social agita-
ton as Japan has probaly never
known before was begun.
An American Girl Leads Reform.
Two bodies. the Women's Christian
Temperance Union and the Salvation
Army, led the crusade. The former
has for its secretary a young Ameri-
can woman, herself but a girl, Miss
Davis, Of Chicago, and she has shown
characteristic American resourceful-
ness in dealing with the subject. The
Japanese head Of the Salvation Army,
Colonel YamamOto, admittedly the
foremost authority in Japan upon
practical sociology. has shared in the
leadership. Even the Japanese women
of the highest class have broken
through immortal tradition and have
addressed meetings and circulated pc
titions in behalf of the abolition or
restriction Of the existing system.
While the agitation has shown the
nation that her real leaders in all
things moral are the Christians, the
aid Of all forces has been enlisted in
the fight. One great meeting was held
under Buddhist auspices. Others were
held for clergymen, for Journalists. for
publiciSts and for ome
The profound concern felt by cad
ing women is one Of the most hope
full aspects Of the fight. They Ia
spoken intensely and %eloquently in
public and hav shown that the an
cient and stOrfed Japanese patriotism
can take the new forms in his new
day. The distinguished educator,
speaking of the shamefuu reputation
which the Yoshiwara, and that for
which it stands, has Given Japanese
women abroad, said that in travelling.
especially in the western part Of
America, she had difficulty in proving
that she was a virtuOus woman
That the agitation is not merely
theoretical is shown by the fact that
the reformers seek to abolish at the
present time, if they cannot now wipe
out the Yoshiwara altogether, the dis
play of the girls in public, the elabo-
~rateness Of the houses. the forcible
retention Of the girls. the location Of
the district in so central a place. the
public advertisement Of the houses, in
street cars and elsewhere. and the
friendly support of the police. Some
of these points, if not all. they will
certainly gain-a triumph for social,
Religion.
Nfnre Railroad Building