The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-13
In Bitter Letters, They Charge
Cowardicc on Part OF Vice
Commission.
AFRAID TO LOOK AT TRUTH
Make Men BE Good, They Cry
and There Will &c
No Trouble.

Chicago, March 12.-Rcformers ana
unrcformod-the State Scnatc's vice
investigation commission and tho wo-
men for whose moral downfall the
commission is trying to determine the
causc---diffcrcd to-day on the relation
between low wages and low morality
Letters received by the commission
from women Knocked at the work
which the legislators arc doing. ono
Iot these letters signed Ia L. L.
reads:
''ro the ommission,-Ciirls don't 20
wrong because they are hungry or
because they need clothes. they 20
wrong because they arc tempted by
lies and overpowercd by the evil In me n
They listen to tho fair and pretty
things that men tell them, aud they
fall because they think they can trust
themselves and trust the tcmptcis 1t
Is not the employer. | WAS good girl
and I worked in store.
II didn't get much money. hut that
didn't matter. lived on IS a week
and would be living like tina, now-but
met men. They seemed TO consider
me their prey and all the time il way
hSht-fiSht They wanted to be nice
to me, they said, and TO take me TO the
theatre and treat me fair--and give
me a chance 10 enjoy life.
Il didn't know men were bad--all
bad-whcrc a girl is CONCERNED.
thought only women were bad. +,
thought all a girl had tn do TO re-
main good was 10 he truthful With her.
self God pity women WIN think that
and who keep their trust in men until
II is too late.
Every day II was some one clsc---al-
WAYS smiling Al mc-always trying to
give me u fair chance To be happy
In the street they followed mo. These
could avoid, but the friends who
hung around
That is the big. big secret Of tho
thing that makes a good girl bad. II
! thcN had left Mo bc--if they had only
left me hc-only let INC live as / want.
| ed to, wouldn't have had TO stink
! into the room when your commission
! was trying to solve things ana
! wouldn't have had To sit in corner
! with my veil down, afraid to look a
! good woman in the face
/ Another CRY echoed the words OF this
| letter. II was more bitter, though, ana
| II read i'll part:
You're looking for thf things that
! made such women az |. Low wages.
dance halls hunger cold! They all
h"iped a hit, but they didn't turn the
trick 'hmcsclVes. You're ali a bunch
OF hypocritcs. afraid to look Inc thing
truths.
- don, know any sic,. who SOLD
themselves Tor money to huy bread or
clothes. But | do know lots OF us
who hit the road Tor HI because a lot
Of blacksuafds kent bounding them
win thcir rotten attentions 4.
Cod help tho men and not us We're
all right when We start. All We need
Is 10 ne loft alone. There are hum
drcds OF kids and sports VINO hang
around state Street aud Nai, like
wolves FOR the Urcd girls 10 leave the
stores.
Why DOM YOU mako the mon ne
5000? Ail the wages in Inc world
won't help us Make the mon good and
the girls viii be good
Now thcA haven't got - chance and
ihcN never VIII have a. long as tho
law smiles at one ana splits At another.
This letter was signed with Ihe
initials Il. NJ
While these comments on the .nua
tiom continued to pour iii, the civic
consciousness. awakened by Tic com
mission bcstirred itself in the launch
ing OF committees and private invcsti-
eating forces.
In some stores numbers Of girls an
preached their cmDloyes to dcinanc
larger salaries All were assured tina,
they wonld be taken care OF as aoor
as something definite had been agreed
upon Several rcsiH nations wore ten.
dred by gin employees as resul, o.
parental advice.
y mass meeting for tho discussio,
OF living wage and Saturday half
holiday was scheduled by tho JuvcnII,
! Protective Association. the Consumers