Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-11-29
PROTECT TIE elRls.

the critics are members OF the club,
others are degenerates There are
others who are members Of the cluD
who praise The World and insist
that the club be thoroughly purged
until 1t Is entirely cleansed Of all
who have brought it into dlsrepute.
But there is another phase Of the
matter What OF the young woman.
4 The Dairy Maid" VINO was the gic.
/ tim OF the vile practices? It IS said
on good authority that she came
from a respectable family and was
al honor student Of the Haeersiown
/ High School. from which she recent.
/ ly graduated Who was the cause
OF her downfall? What doth II
profit man If he gain the whole
world and lose his own soul?9 WHAT
/ was the value Of her soul? :.
/ Then there was Pearl Powell She
came of respectable family, was
/ employed at an honorable vocation,
married and went to Hagerstown
/ and felg-"Fell like the snowflake
/ from heaven to helli" Then she is
/ arrested for disorderly conduct AMI
held up as a sample of women from
Martinsburg-- held in the newspa.
pers of that city, not one of which
has the moral courage to condemn
the hellish practices of certain in
huential residents OF that city Bnt
they do twit The World because It
exposes the rottenness which pre-.
vailed there. The World does not
make any pretentions in that re-
spect. but will stand for the right
as it sees il, and expose wrongdong
whether praeticed in Hagerstown or
Martlnsburg. =.
There has been reference to two
! victims. both about the same age.
A case just ended at Charleston
has aroused worldwide attention.
The story of Ruth Steele is given in
the Pittsburg Dispatch. Read It..
parents mothers and fathers-read
it this glorious Thanksgiving Day
and then decide whether you can
find it in your hearts to condemn The
World for the position it has taken;
whether you can condemn MS for
making an effort to save girls like
the DAIRY Maid" Pearl Powell and
Ruth Steele. Read it and decide
which newspaper in all of this sec
ton is the one for your homes. The
/ World is the only one that has been
brave enough to make the fight, to
show parents the dangers to which
their daughters are exposed. The
Dispatch says:
Hearts were wrung as the hours
sped telling Of the desperate but
futile struggles Of medical skill to
save the doomed life of that young
Georgia millionaire. the first victim
Of bichloride Of mercury poisoning
10 attract national attention. Since
then readers everywhere have watch
cd similar battles reported from
many quarters But none, we think
has been more pitiable, more poiG-
nant. than the case of the l9Year-
old mountain girl at Charleston, w.
Va. carried faiting into court "in the
face OF death, trying to do some
thirg to put an end to the traffic OF
which she is testifylng as victim
Altogether apart from the issue
before the Court the fate Of this
young girl presents at once a wither
ing exposure of the social plague
and a terrifying warning to young
Wnmanhood 1t is the other side of
LIFE" Read her piteous testimony;
WHEN 7 finally got free I was like
tird out OF a cage and life was
sweet again always wanted 20
be good" And now at 10, just when
+ lii- should be opening to her her
course is run Doomed by The pois-
On she took she says, in fear her
DAYS cbbiug she WEAKLY recouuts the
sordid story to the Court ana hopes
it may save some other from her
plight.
The need Of the Mann act has
Been abundantly established by the
r6core Of what the Department Of
Jusoce has been able to accomplish
under it, should be more than
a punitive measure. The knowledge
of such law should afford protoc-
ucn TO victims struggling to be free.
Pat such cases should be got into
court as quickly as possible. There
should be no opportunity for mis-
chance in delay or if delay IS uaa-
70 dable the witnesses should be
protected, even against themseI, as.
World