The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-09-23
Thoughts and Ideas
Wise and Otherwise
Pertinent and Live Topics Analysed and Discussed
~. From an Eccentfic,s Point of View.
BY SANDIE McALISTER.

by those unsophisttcated children of
nature. f.
OF late years the prevalence Of the
evil in our cities has been attracting
considerable attention from men AMI
women who make the pretense of be-
Ing willing to consecrate their efforts
towards lifting the human family to
a higher plane Of morality. ;.%' :.
~ The pulpit has numbered with the
most: vigorous denunciations against
brothels Of iniquity, and the inmates
OF the bastiles of shame have been
scourged by verbal vitriol for the
crimes that locked the doors of re-
spesctability against them.
= The priest and preacher and all
the so-called sympathetic humanitar-
ians who have been engaged in the
battle against the social evil have
ANONYMOUSLY failed 10 destroy the
cancer that threatens the moral life
Of our cities. :$ sr = VIZ.
Homes and institutions for the fall
en- have been built, and Christian
people have told Of the number Of
unfortunate victims that have been
reclaimed, but the moral pestilence
still exists. In scarcely any depart
ment or reformatory endeavor have
such gigantic efforts been put forth
as in this field, but those gigantic ef-
forts have been practicallyfruitless,
and it would seem that those whose
hearts bleed for "the woman of the
street" should realize that they are
merely dealing with effects instead Of
the causes that write upon. the brow
Of vtrginity the scarlet letters of a
life that is worse than death.
The missionaries that are engaged
in the redemption of tie fallen wom-
en- do not probe the economic cause
that assassinates virtue and leaves
fair daughters submerged in debauch-
cry that paralyze tongue and pen for
description. -" n d. &c.,. ~. Z
Building homes and institutions for
the fallen will not save, the tens of
thousands and the hundreds of thou
sands Of women and girls whose long
hours Of labor and paltry wages bid
for the price Of shame. @.' -:
The building Of jails, and peniten-
tiaries will not stop crime, but will
only serve as places where criminals
are held In custody, nor will the
building of homes of shelter for those
whose feet have strayed from the
narrow path have any Influence up
on the economic cause that breeds the
brothel. II.
!: So long as reformatory measures
are; directed towards. the removal Of
effects there never can be any per-
manent cure estah1fAhed ~. ~
What must society do then to pro-
tect itself? answer that it must do
two things. ~
First. It must segregate the evil
and not suffer cities to become honey
combed and polluted by IT,
Second. It must address itself to
the correction Of those economic and
industrial wrongs upon which the So
cial evil feeds. 49,
I have no idea that the evil will be
absolutely suppressed until the dawn
Of the millennium, but it can be re-
strained, and at present know Of no
more effective way Of doing this than
by segregation. 49,
think too,s society has a moral
right to make the: evF stand the fl
nancial cost OF maintaining the
"blockade" ':.esxEts II. ~. -
I am persuaded that the utter re-
moval of the evil would demand
complete transformation in the ment-
al and moral attitude Of society to-
wards marriage, sex. money, work
and practically tie overturning of all
our economic and industrial theories
When will that be? Not In this gen.
GRAFTON or the next We must there
fore endure. regulate and segregate
what cannot be wholly cured. and
make it stand the cost OF segregation.
It Isl humiliat1ng to; have to &C.
knowledge this, but as the old saw
has It: 1T is conditions that con-
front u.s." Read in this connection q
poem herein, entitled, "one more un-
fortunate" am sure it's sadness will
appeal to you. IL.
sANDIE McALIsTER. "
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