The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-05-01
Atlanta Closes AL Houses Of
Prostitution BY Means of
n Publicity. rI
LIEN AND RELIGION DID IT
IN Unprecedented Social and Re-
Iislous Work That Found
New Uses for Adver- # a.
tisemsnts. r =
BY the Religious Rambler.

MA - F-
nkneaf free from houses OF prostitution.
with the whole nation stirred by re-
Dsnt Investigations into the social evil.
ne Atlanta method Of getting rid OF
aaxniized vice is bound to attract in
Aernational attention. The simple. di-
rect and vet unprecedented method or
cleaning up the city by means of paid
mswspaper advertising has been so sue
oessful that 1t opens the way to a rev.
0lution in methods Of social reform.
The story Is almost unbelievable in
IT. simplicity and in it's quick EN-
riency. It goes back to the Men and
%eiigion Congress in New York City
last April, and to the Men and Relfg-
eon ''campaigns'' OF which the congress
was h elimination. The story Is
told with elaborate detail in the cur
Tent issue OF The Continent, by cour-
Aesy OF which publication I summarize
the facts,
Man and Religion Responsible.
Az the religious public well knows,
me- two dominant notes of the Men
q Religion Congress were social ser;
vice and christian publicity. Epochal
reports upon these and four other
themes were issued in volume form by
the congress. The Atlanta delegates
Aook home to their city the methods
advocated in the congress. They COM
Fctned the social service message and
Ahs publicity method. sG3a..h
Although the Men and Religion
movement formally dissolved a year
ago, the Atlanta executive committee
held together. 1t arranged. through
one OF its members, for the purchase
~ q large block of advertising space
"a each OF the city's daily newspapers,
Nobody knew What use was to be
made OF this space, except that Il was
FOR some religious purpose, Regular
rates were paid for space which was
20 be used within a year, Prom the
standpoint Of the newspapers, itseemed
merely like 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
Men and Religion Bulletin No. l."
and signed THE Executive Committee
ef the Men and Religion Forward
Movement" They were headed, The
khey were two or three columns wide
and ran the full length of the paper.
Display type was used, but the style
was systematically narrative, printed
In short paragraphs. b 80 g@a'.
The story told by the advertisements
~ they appeared at irregular but fire.
@uent intervals. was that of Alta
Nbndttions 9resEecting the social evll.
Tie articles were surprisingly free
from mere em~otionalism and hysteri-
cal protest. They called a spade a
spade with a bluntness that was rather
aiseoncerting, While relating the facts
~ Atlanta's protected t'red light dis
trfct, they also gar the authoritive
findings OF the best religious special.
fsts, medical men n social experts
upon the treatment of the social evil.
While holding to the one point OF At
anntasS problem, a wide field was swept
for arguments n for buttfessing
facts. Each advertisement closed with
the statement Atlanta should and
Will close the houses In our midst
Religion in the Ads. =
The advertisements were kept strict
~ religious. Along with ali legal and
medical and social arguments, went
b definite religious appeal. The final
reason given In every case was the
words OF holy writ.
In this the plan showed the mind OF
q master. for Georgia is a conspicu-
Ot1sly religious community. 1t would
not have risen to a merely s~ociologfcai
appeal, or course these advertise
ments went all over the state. They
reached ev~erybody-the preachers in
their pulpits. the business men in their
Offices, the crooks In their dives, the
shattered wonen In their homes, all
~AAHS N04 oRhCao DGIuI6. lIleI0.. I'm DIV
day. this terrific arrangement OF "the
house IN our midst"
The churches of Atlanta rose to the
support OF the Men and Religion leaders
unitedly. The subject quickly took
tfrst place IN the city's thought and
talk The conscience of Georgia was
y 70 such an extent that real
This direct and democratic way of
making an appeal straight TO the peo-
pie, without any intervening machinery
or organization, and with no CARRYING
nnarges except those of the advertis-
ing space. proved revolutionary. 1t was
case OF Smelling the woods without
moving where the enemy would break
Tbs climax came when Chief Of Po-
nee Beavers, himself reached by the
advertising, announced his intention OF
Eiosing every house of prostitution in
atlanta The Christian people stood so
p~teAdfastly behind him that he could
program went through. =. d.
Today there is not q single house of
prostitution In Atlanta, The plan has
worked 10 complete success. The ad-
wertising Is continued, partly for the
support OF h chief OF police, partly
Q keep alive the conscience of the
Enristian community, partly to educate
- pANAN1 Vi 0duBuL6Tb, ana partly
% serve notice upon all the people that
Hhere IS in Atlanta a militant agency
possessing the power Of taking all is
eucs. within q few hours. into the final
our OF public appeal. The advertising
method is q sort OF quick referendum.
caring for the unhoused Women. /
Atianta's Christian, people were not
satisfied TO close up the houses OF pros
htution. The religious note was sound
I'd through all the advertisements. They
wanted 10 save and serve the women
whom he new legal action would drive
from their old places Of business. So,
py the ubiquitous advertising page, ana
by personal ~visitations to every woman
who lived In the houses to be closed,
b churches announced their readiness
70 care for all who would forsake the
old life. T- 4
This proposition was made In most
definite terms. II a woma was i'll, she
would be provided with medical atten-
tton. II she wal homeless, as most
were. she would be given a home. II
On a dependent relatives, they would
be- supported, pending the time the
woman could make a living in an hon
CRADLE calling. II she needed a training
for business. It would be given her.
~ This proposition, so comprehensive
and definite, was accepted by about 200
az The women. A number of them IN