The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-05-01
CHURCHES USE ADS
TO RID CITY OF VICE
Atlanta Closes All Houses of
Prostitution BY Means of
Publicity.
MEN AND RELIGION DID IT
N Unprecedented Social and Re-
iisious Work That Found
New Uses for Adver-
tisements.
len AND RELIGION DID 1T
BY the Religious Rambler,

Inc city or Atlanta has advertised
itself free from houses of prostitution.
With the whole nation stirred by re-
cont Investigations into the social evil.
the Atlanta method of getting rid of
9eSalized vice Is bound to attract in
ternationa1 attention. The simple. d.
rect and yet unprecedented method OF
cleaning up the city by means of paid
newspaper advertising has been so sue
cessfuI that it opens the way to a rev.
olution In methods Of social reform.
The story is almost unbelievable in
ats simplicity and in it's quick eff
cheney. 1t goes back to the Men and
Religion Congress in New York City
last April, n to the Men and Relig-
ion campaigns" of which the congress
was the elimination. The story is
told with elaborate detail in the cur
rent issue of The Continent, by cour-
tesy OF which publication / summarize
the facts.
Men and Religion Responsible.
As the religious public well knows,
mo two dominant notes of the Men
And Religion Congress were social SER
vice n christian publicity. Epochal
report upon these and four other
themes were issued In volume form by
tho congress. The Atlanta delegates
took home to their city the methods
advocated In the congress. They COM
OAucu TIE Soclal service message and
the publicity method.
Although the Men and Religion
movement formally dissolved a year
AGO, the Atlanta executive committee
held together. 1t arranged. through
enc of It's members. for the purchase
81 q large block of advertising space
e each OF the city's daily newspapers.
Nobody knew what use was to be
made of this space. except that it was
Tor some religious purpose. Regular
rates were paid for space, which was
TO be used within a year. From the
standpoint of the newspapers. ftseemed
merely hk a fine bit of business that
had fallen unexpectedly into their
hands from a novel quarter.
Advertising "The Houses in Our Midst"
The advertisements began. labelled
n signed 1.-THE Executive Committee
oI the Men n Religion Forward I
movement" They were headed. THE |
Houses in Our Midst" Ordinarily !
they We're two or three columns wide
ND az the full length of the paper.
Oisplay. type was used. but the style
systematically narrative, printed |
N short paragraphs.
The story told by the advertisements
- they appeared at irregular but fire.
Quent intervals. was that OF AtIanta's |
conditions respecting. the social evil. /,
me articies We're surprisingly free
from mere einotionalism and hysteri-
cal protest. They called d shade a
epNde with a hluntness that was rather
disconcerting. While relating the facts
OF Atlanta's protected red light, dis
tr1ct, they also gave the a%uthoritive |
nnalngs or the best religious special
ISIS, medical men and social experts
upon the treatment of the social evil.
While holding to the one point of At
Lahtas problem. a wide field was swept
Tor arguments and for buttressing
Each advertisement closed with /
the statement. Atlanta should and
SiH close the houses In our midst
Religion in the Ads.
The advertisements were kant c.ri.,
y religious. Along. with all legal and
medical and social arguments. went
definite religious appeal. THE finaI
given in every case was the I
words OF holy writ.
In this the plan showed the mind on
= master. for Georgia is q consnfrn-
ously religious community. II Would
not nave risen to q merely sociological
appeal. OF course these ADVERTISE
ments Went all over the state. They
cached everybOdy-the preachers IL
Lneir pulpits, the business men in their
pfnces. the crooks in their dives tha
1heltered women In their homes. ali
had spread before them, day by
this terrific Rrraignmenf AZ sstha
houses In our midst"
The churches OF Atlanta rose 10 thai
,upport q the Men and Religion leaders
The subject quickly took
urst placo IN the city's thought and
ak. The conscience OF Georgia was
arouSed to such an extent thar zeal
lction was inevitable.
This direct and democratic wav ~
making an appeal straight to the neo-
=. ~, Mssnout any intervening machinery
y o~rsanlzatson, n with no carrying
snarSes except those OF the advertise I
space. proved revolutionary. IL was (
q ~ OF Smelling the woods withni,t
moving where the enemy would break
nnS climax came when Chief OF Po-
~ himself reached BY the
Anvertising, announced HIS IL
naostng every house OF prostifution n
IantA@ The Christian people stood 10
Hxeadta1tly behind him thar ma could
not De deferred or intimidated. His
pe0gram went through.
10aay there - not single house Of
prostitution In Atlanta. Tha Man hss
worked to complete success. Tina al
is continued. partly far ~
ppp0r OF the Chief of police. nartiv
Il Keep alive the Conscience 81 tha L
Snr1gxian community, partly ia educate
- parents Of daughters. ana partly
sssNH noNce upon all the people that
$3.50 1850 IN .Aflanta q militant agency
2o1seSelng the power OF taking All il.
p few hours. into the f,n.1Is
COW Of public apneal. The advertisinc
y a sort OF quick ~referendmm
CARING fer the unhouasd Woman.
Atlenta'sssC Christian people were not
1aSl9qea toaclose up the houses a nros
1set aal.s xns reiigious note w~asgsound-
wanted y AVE and serve tha ovc,nen
Whoxnsthe newsie6al action rsc,,1S I.ss,a