The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-06-20
WATKINS TELLS
ABOUT WOMEN
ENFORCEMENT Lacquer POINT
Ed OUT CONDITIONS WHICH
He CLAIMED TO EXIST IN FAR
GO AND SAYS he HAS AFFl-
DAvITs AS PROOF.

Several hundred men and women as
sembIed in the tabernacle last night
in response to the call for a mass
meeting called under the auspices Of
North Dakota Enforcement league, for
the purpose of giving the mayor and
city administration moral support and
approval Of the move to do away and
close I'D permanently the red light dis
tricts in the city.
The Resolutions.
The following resolutions approving
Of the recent action of the mayor were
adopted by a rising vote of the audi
ence:
Resolution.
Whereas, We believe the sufferance
of the social evil to be destructive to
many, and degrading in its influence
upon all, n particularly to the
young:
And Whereas, We are appalled, at
the prevalence Of this evil in our city,
as learned by recent disclosures;
And. Whereas, the conclusions Of the
vice commission derived from late in
v~estigations had in other cities have
specifically stated that the seggrega-
ton Of this vice tends to increase and
not to diminish the evil;
And, Whereas the evidence here
gained has proven that the attempt
to segregate this vice in our city has
been accompanied by a spread Of the
evil throughout the city;
And, Whereas the suppression Of this
vice may be materially aided by the
refusal of property owners to rent
property for such purposes; and the
state law provides for the closing
of property used for immoral purposes;
And, Whereas the great need OF a
police matron is now apparent.
Therefore, be is resolved by the
citizens Of Fargo in mass meeting as
sembled on June 10, 1912, that we
heartily commend the recent action of
the mayor and other city and county
officials in their effort to suppress this
vice; and hereby pledge to them u
support in this work;
And resolved further, that the sup
port and cooperation of property own
ers is solicited for this movement; and
that all parties leasing property are
requested to inquire carefully as to
the character of tenants, and use ev-
cry p~fecaution to prevent the leasing
Of property for immoral purposes;
And resolved further that we do
hereby petition the honorable mayor
and city council to make immediate
provision for the employment Of a
police matron in this city.
DR.. G, @. Creegan, president Of Far
Il 81 SOAAS6Es was hAAG ShdiA lbdn Va NAlC
meeting and he was enthusiastically
received when he arose to open the
proceedings. Accompanying President
Creegan on the platform were Rev.
Messrs. Peterson, Behner, Walters,
Father Egan, Messrs. Lyon, William
H. White, Aaker, Tenneson, Hatcher,
w. r.. Clapp and A. L. Bishop, and
superintendent watkins Of the en-
forcement league.
In substance President Creegan
said: We are gathered here tonight
as citizens of this fair city, where we
live and where most of US have our
homes. 1t pleases me to hear strang-
ers approve Of Fargo as of the
most beautiful cities they have ever
:. seen. ar Fg-a
He referred to the attractiveness to
the visitors of the p~rofusion and beau.
tiful arrangement of the trees and
bushes about the city, and the splen-
did park system. He was delighted to
see that the immense audience before
him was so representative a one
homes, church and schools, as well IS
the commercial interests of the city
were well represented.
, But l know" he continued, ~ am
speaking for all of you when I say
that with the beauty and attractive
ness of the city of Fargo we are not
content to hear strangers speak only
IL Va 4NS bNANNy GAAN SAAASAR ga 1879 NASNAE
with that we want all who enter ou
gates to know that Fargo is a clean
city. We want Fargo to be a safe
place for the children growing up in
the city and for the young people whc
come to US from the hundreds OF
homes in the country communities al
7 over this fair state. We earnestly de
sire that the fathers and mothers shall
feel absolutely certain that the author
tiles Of Fargo have furnished every
2 safeguard for the children Inc young
people sent here to attend our school:
? and colleges. We are under obliga.
tions to Mayor Sweet for his recent
I proclamation which means a clean city
for the future. But, back of the may,
or's action must come the hearty sup.
port OF the people. Not merely a votC
tonight, but all the time and at ev
cry opportunity when the latter comes
for expression and action"
! President Creegan then introduced
= f. l.. Watkins, superintendent of tn,
8 state enforcement league, who said
r in part:
"In December I was asked to com,
. to Fargo and begin q thorough inves
Q tigation of certain conditions here,
made the start. Later, in February
8 detectives were put to work and wit
4 fourteen closely typewriter pages an
: accompanying that report r at leas
!. fifteen aff1davits dealing with twent,
or more places of prostitution.
\ According to City Attorney Smitl
! the evidence we have is all good evi
: dence' against at least twenty house
Of i'll fame which could be used nov
4 and would result in the placing O
padlocks on the premises and keepin
them there for one year under the Law
Z The evidence is good for two years
y 1t will not be used IL the despicabl
y business which has been going on i
stopped Immediately.
al Startling Statements.
v my report shows that at differen
10 periods fifty-five persons have bee
ir engaged in the several houses operate
in the hollow white and colored, dur
L that during that month the police aid
ed and allotted what was going oil
There was no effort made to ahate til
nuisance.
"Students from the A. C.. and Farg
! college IN parties of from eight 1
twelve spent their nights there, danc
ing the grizzly bear with prostitute
"a and-but that is as far as ! want
= go. Young boys. too. frequented thes
places.
s titutes were not confined to the re
r light district, but they went wherevt
especially to dance halls. They mir
y gled freely with the boys and CIR
OF the city, and especially during til
twenty-minute moonlight attachmen
g things happened that / cannot tell yc
70 about. don't imagine condition
y could have been much worse any
u where; / have eve found them so.