Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-15

course Of one blocks wak on an AZ
lanta street. writes 10 The Sunday
American setting forth his views 70.
garding methods OF fighting the social
evil In the course OF his letter he
declares that his remarl1s concerning
the Atlanta situation were distorted
and misinterpreted.
Elimination of the red-Hght district,
he declares, is not the best, the abso-
lutte, method of warning on the evil.
I'VE must change the attitude and
the habits Of the people toward this
question of social impurity," he
writes. Mere changed methods IN
such a crusade win not secure the
largest and the longest results"
His recommendations to American
cities are;
Do not abolish the districts unless
The police chiefs and policemen are
prepared and willing to keep them
subdued.
Be as hard on the men caught in the
houses as on the women.
Hold responsible the owners of
property given over to evil.
Do not allow the women unlimited
liberty. They are moral perverts.
Hold conferences Of churches, min
listers, women's clubs, schools and city
officers to map out a program OF war
on the evil.
Make the program permanent, stick
to it, and work always to change the
public habits and attitude.
Says He Is Provoked.
His statement, in full, is as follows:
Naturally have been much pro-
voked at the gross and false reports
of my words that have appeared
in some of the papers of your city.
In a previous communication cor
rected some of these mis-state
ments and so I need not repeat
ancient history The things l did
say have been much distorted; and
many things are attributed to me
that l never dreamed,
When in Atlanta at the Southern
Sociological Congress. told what
Hdu seen III n auNAehA AAAbs 49, "a
person objected to a word 1 said.
Friends Were Aeeosted.
I said here in Philadelphia tina.
suppressing the Red Light Dis
trict" does not solve the Social
Question. And l gave an illustra-
ton from Atlanta, which is trying
honestly to abolish this vice. Yet
two friends of mine, well known in
Atlanta. were accosted a number
of times on the streets of the city
one night. was not accosted for
was not on the street in that part
of the city. I am sure that these
gentlemen will tell in public every
thing that they told me. can
give their names 10 Chief Beavers
If he desires to investigate farther.
Many of the things attributed to me
1 did not say. and brand them as
"faIse" stories. l stand by what
said and am ready to repeat every
word before an Atlanta audience.
Urqes Consideration First.
l believe we should not tolerate
a Red Light District" That toll
crates an evil which the law for
bids and makes it half-legal. But
do not forget that we have per-
nitted such things to exist for years
and have said nothing. Before We
demand that the Police Depart
ment shall abolish the district sew
eral things should be considered.
First. we should know that the
Police Department has developed
the machinery for achieving this
result. The department from Chief
70 patrolman should be enlisted in
the work and should work in uni
son. l have seen good movements
fail in many cities at this point.
Other Vital Features.
Two or three other things enter
into this problem which are vital
Much Of our effort strikes at the
Scarlet. Woman" This is right
enough for she is a sinner and
should be punished.
But the Scarlet Man. is just as
bad as the Scarlet Woman" and
sometimes much worse. We will
make no real Roadway till We deal
severely with him. Whenever
house is raided bring all Of the men
found there and put their names
on the police blotter. Let society
be as hard on the men as on the
women. and this evil will be re
avrod ona-ha1f
Another thing: Hold the owners
Of property used for immoral pur-
poses to a strict account. How far
do your present laws enable you to
do this7 Have the law strengthen
ed at this point; then you can &C
ssmpIish NAM things now inPos-
sibIe.
Favors Long Program.
I repeat what ] have said before
and what I am asking the people
10 do here and everywhere. Let
the churches. the ministers, the