The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-03-14
NOT WAGES, WOMEN DECLARE.
Other Causes for Downfall Given in
Letters to Vice Probers.

LCttcIS ~ vice ETODeTS.
Chicago, March 12.-Reformers and
unreformed-the State Senate's vice
investigation commission and the wo-
men for whose moral downfall the
commission is trying to determine the
cause differed today on the relation
between low wages and low morality.
Letters received by the commission
from women of the underworld mock
ed at the work which the legislators
are doing.
One of these letters signed ak. R.
L." reads:
"To the Commission-Girl don't 90
wrong because they are hungry, or
because they need clothes. They 90
wrong because they are tempted by
lies and overpowerd by the evil in
men.
"They listen to the fair and pretty
things that men tell them and they
fall because they think they can trust
themselves and trust the tempter 1t
1t is not the employer. I was a good
girl and worked in store.
II didn't get mucl. money, but that
didn't matter. 1 lived on So week
and would be living like that now
but met men. They seemed to con-
slider me their prey and all the time
it was fight, fight. They wanted to
be nice to me, they said, and to take
me to the theatre, and treat me fair
and give me chance to enjoy life.
Thought Some Were Good.
~ didn't know men were bad-all
bad-where a girl is concerned. |
thought only women were bad. 1
thought all girl had to do to remain
good was to be truthful with hersel>.
God pity women who think that and
who keep their trust in men until it
is too late.
Every day it was someone else
always smiling at me-always trying
to give me fair chance to be hap
py. In the street they followed me
These I could avoid; but the friends
who hung around?
"That is the big, big secret of the
thing that makes good girl bad. If
they had left me be-if they had only
left me be-only let me live as I
wanted to, would not have had to
stink into the room when your COM
mission was trying to solve things
and wouldn't have had to sit in cor
ner with my veil down, afraid to look
good woman in the face"
Another cry from the underworld
echoed the words of this letter. It
was more bitter, though, and it read
in part:
You're looking for the things that
made such women as I. Low wages?
Dance halls? Hunger? Cold? They
all helped bit, but they did not turn
lthe trick themselves. You're all a
bunch of hypocrites, afraid to look
the thing in the face and afraid to
learn the truth.
HOunded with Attentions.
II don't know any girls who sold
themselves for money to buy bread or
clothes. But I do know lots of us
who hit the road for hell, because a
lot of blackguards kept bounding
them with rotten Attentions God
help the men and not us. We're all
right when we start. All we need is
to be left alone. There are hundreds
and hundreds of kids and sports who
hang around State street and wait
and look like wolves for the tired
girles, to leave the stores.
"Why don't you make the men be
good? All the wages in the world
won't help us. Make the men good
and the girls will be good.
"Now they haven't got a chance
and they never will have as long as
the law smiles at one and spits at
| another"
This letter was signed with the in
itials al. NJ"
While these comments on the situa-
ion continued to pour in the civic
consciousness awakened by the COM
mission bestirred itself in the launch
ing of committees and private inves-
tigating forces.
I'm some stores numbers of girls
approached their employers to de-
mand larger salaries. All were as
sured that they would be taken care
of as soon as something definite has
been agreed upon. Several resigna-