The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-05-09
Parents. Who Allow Daugh-
tiers to Become Delinquent,
Guilty of Criminal Neglect,
Gardner Declares.
MAYOR DEFENDS THE
POSITION OF GIRLS
Says 1t Is Wrong to Brand 4
Girl Immoral Simply Be-
cause She Walks Street.
Man Is Responsible.
A DAILY EPISODE

A DAILY EPISODE
Say, Jim. there's = swell looker,s
observed a street corner ioafer to his
pal"
Your -- right. She's . 'beaner.s
look at that jane with 'er. Let's 20
get 'em. It's cinch."
As the girls pass one OF the fel.
lows whistles softly. There Is a turn
of the pretty head. an experienced
wink, unbecoming to sweet sixteen.
Well meet you at Glen Miller"
one girls says.
About eleven o'clock that night on
returning home. any one OF the girls
will reply to question from mother,
who has just returned from 4 card
party: "Oh I've been over to Helen's.'
The "giri question ID bothering the
ministers, the police. and the thinking
parents OF Richmond, for the number
OF young girls who seem to almost
live on the streets. at the picture
shows, skating rink. vaudeville, etc,
is becoming q serious problem. Tho
ranks Of girls walking the streets are
reinforced day by day
There is parade OF young girls ev.
cry morning. afternoon and especial
ly every night. The police say there
is not city in the United States
where girl can walk with more safe
ty than Richmond, but Superintend-
ent Gormon Is not slow In condemn
ing the parents Of these wandering
girls for permitting their children to
roam The public thoroughfares of the
city. Mayor Zimmerman has q good
word for the girls OF the streets.
1T seems wrong declared the
mayor on Tuesday morning that the
sons of the family can go down town.
shoot their billiard balls and smoke CT
garets, but the girls have to stay 1t
home. They want to be down town the
same as the fellows"
Why is It, he continued, IL girl
walks the streets should be brand
ed immoral. It's the man or boy who
brands her who Is wrong. Let US not
speak hard Of the street girl, and
question her purity, but instead let us
feel that she is pure. Don't doubt It.
Treat her as you would treat girl In
her own home. Then they will be
pure. When you go to see girl. take
her to the theater. send her flowers.
Don't hold her arm or her hand. Don't
put your arm around her. Don't kiss
her. Men for the most part are evil
minded"
The mayor rallied at tho hypocritical
reformer, who breaches. DO as say
but not as do" He said the reason
the reform movements usually failed
was because the reformers were I'm
moral and impure themselves.
In conclusion Mayor Zimmerman
said the pretty little girls who walk
the street are naturally pure, and VIII
be SO as long as men or boys permit
them to be SO. But he said he favor
ed the movement to keep them off the
street for there is no use to subject
any girls to temptations offered BY
unscrupulous men,"
The mayor declares that the chill
dren OF any parents can be taken
away from them. no matter whether
they are wealthy or not. He says the
neglect could be shown by permitting
the girls to roam the streets, when
their parents were at card parties.
theaters. or entertaining company at
home. He admitted. however, It II
| mostly the poorer class OF girls that
are on the streets. He mentioned the
lure Of good clothes and money and
their results
City attorney Gardner says he 10
lieves that the girls OF the parents
who neglect them can be taken from
the parents by the state and placed In
a home. 1T is certainly criminal neg
lect," he said.