Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-23

lB2uy 01s them Yt0l0t0Q 0y mGuD&6Ss Oh
their own households In that crowding
which life in large tenement postulates.
Even the wretched women whom we call
degenerate have often been captured az
der to AT them tor this dreadful life.
Only last week LEFT at Hull House
. young girl whoss childish face sur.
rounded by old-fashioned curls remind
ed me OF the playmates Of my earliest
memory she had been rented 1T the
age OF twelve by her mother to
notorious man In q neighboring state
with whom she had remained four
years ostensibiy AZ his daughter. Two
weeks ago her mother sent her to Chi
cage to a white slave trader who
agreed to meet her at given place In
a large railroad station: although she
had been brought across the state line
in an automobile to avoid the Inter-
state pandering laws which imply the
use OF q common carrier. The care
man did not appear she came directly
to Hull House because In the 0rothel
kept by her mother the little girls had
been In the habit Of pretending that
they were related to people whose
and as l had figured a hypothetical
relative she knew my name and ad-
dress. The girls story. which she gave
most reluctantly. corrobrated since by
governmental officials. revealed that
experiences She is still 50 simple and
lchild-like that she lay awake until
midnight last Friday night to see it
she would feel differently when the
clock strucF and she should become
sixteen, and she sravely reported her
next morning.
Pays Enormous Profits.
Publicity thus making clear that .
large number Of women have entered the
tidsous life against their own volition, it
inevitably discloses the existence OF q
widespread commerce organized for the
profits OF men. The man who owns the
house, the one who procures the girls, the
one styled her 'protector'-the agent who
supplies her clothing, all exploit her. each
for his personal gain. Even the women
in charge Of the houses who from the
days of Babylon have reaped large prof
its are now becoming merely the paid
agents Of an organized business, much as
a saloon keeper Is engaged by a brewer.
The girl upon whom all this activity rests,
young for the most part. stands in the
middle Of q complex system which she
does not understand. On the other hand,
commercial organizations are obliged to
continually pump up business in order to
obtain enough men to make their busi-
through alcohol and all vicious devices
designed to stimulate the senses.
The success Of the business. which in
Chicago pays its promoters SIS, 100000 q
year. is founded upon the hypocrisy and
self-nghteousness Of the decent citizen,
and 1t continues to capture girls to de-
bauch young men. to spread disease and
corrupt city politics because good men
do not consider it part of their religious
obligation to face it openly and to under
take its abolition. The Christian church
cannot hope to eradicate the social evil
until 1t is willing fairly to make 1t the
test of its religious vitality, to forget
its ecclesiastical traditions. to drop its
cynicism and worldliness, to go back to
the method advocated by Jesus himself
for dealing with all sinners. including not
only the harlot. but, We are bound to be-
lieve. even those men who live upon her.
earnings and whom we called every foul
name. The method Of Jesus was nothing
more nor less than sheer forgiveness. the
overcoming Of the basest evil by the
august power Of goodness the overpower-
Ing Of the sinner by the loving kindness
Of his brother men. the breaking up OF
long entrenchsd evil by the considered
good will Of society.