Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-05-20
ENLIGHTENED TRAINING or
YOUNG SUGGESTED REMEDY
Alarming lnersass in Traffic in We
msn and in Evil Intseeeurss Calls
For New Mstheds Of Rssorm-Fa ash
ions, Dances, Thsatsr and Literature
and ignorance Blamed.


row In the report of the special commHs
tee on white slave traffic. *
The report estimates that there are
100000 prostitutes in the United States.
and that far greater number are un-
chaste. Contributing factors In this
condition are the fashions. dances. the
theater. literature and ignorance. The
principal remedy suggested is the en-
lightened training Of the young.
The report was prepared by Paul r.
Ffclkok. John Balcom Shaw. John Ken
nedy, Winfield Scott Hall and j.. NJ. T.
Finney. Excerpts follow:
"Your committee 10 directed to con-
slider the enormous violation Of the
seventh commandment involved In The
traffic This is not q matter calling for
statistics. with all the mental confusion
that must. result from long statements
Of appalling figures. But that the ex-
tent Of the traffic in human bodies for
lust and greed 10 enormous as de-
scribed In the assembly's resolution, IL
terribly evident upon only slight In
vestigation. The vice commission OF
Chicago. ILL.,, appointed by the city
council in 1910. has made most thor
ough survey Of these conditions In that
ono city. In Chicago alone. the COM
mission reported that there are not far
from 5000 women who devote their
time wholly to the bnsiness Of prostitu-
ton The conditions In that city are
not believed to be worse than In most
,cities of the country. This figure did
not include. of course. the much yaster
army OF persons leading impure lives,
guilty OF occasional immoral relations,
hSing supported wholly or In part by
their soccasional earning or enEaginG.
"A occasionai imn0fa aifty mot Ifcr prefit
but from desire. There In no possible
way Of esttmatinG this larger number,
but the word enormous seems scarcely
adequate to describe the conditions
knownto be present.
4"Ifs thesratio existing In Chicago may
be taken A. anything like an accurate
index to that prevailing thruout this
country. 1t seems entirely safe to assert
that at least 100000. persons are devot-
ing their time wholly to this unthink-
able iniquity in the United States, and
it is most probable that the number is
very much larger. Most students Of the
problem would place the figures two or
three times as high" ks
Education Needed.
& On the much discussed !. subject OF
education in matters of sex the report
has this to say:
THE methods of greatest wisdom
and largest efficiency are still to be
discovered. But 1t 10 the belief. Of your
committee that hitherto ii large major
ity Of those persons responsible for
the education. guidance and nurture OF
youth have followed an unfortunate
course regarding the great sacred
truths OF life. This course has. been
one II silence and mysticism as rule.
This attitude on the part Of parents
and teachers of youth has the psycho-
logical effect of stimulating curiosity,.
with the almost universal result that
children acquire distorted viewpoint1
and morbid misconceptions Of Sfeat
truths that rightly Understood from
the first. would engender feelings Of
reverence for life and respect for Ill
life processes. There seems, therefore.
but one rational course for earnest
minded christian to follow. That course
is to answer the natural questions Of
their children freely. frankly, FUZZY,
sincerely and Enthusiastically
Increase Alarming. HE
Speaking of factors in the increase
Of the social evil which are now ~
sumins alarming proportions" the No.
port says:
"One of these appears in the vulgar
tendency Of modern fashion. Our
'stsndards.' we remember, expressly
forbid al 'immodest apparel To-Day
many OF our women are going to such
extremes Of dress - to shock evcni the
least prudish, and open American
womanhood to the charge Of com
plete forfeiture OF modesty. The uns
fortunate side Of 1t all u, that the
women CT the church. whose most con-
spicuous adornment II supposed to he
meekness, are quite - guiltysof thu.
offense az are women who make no reg
ligious professions. Until our chfistiaHi
women can be made to see what nliosI
chief is being done by such ayrecklsssl
abandon to the fotblss Of fashion. there
can be little hope Of stemming this SviI
tide. We call the women OF our Pres
byter.an church 20 Q practical sepaf-
alton Of themselves from these ten-
denotes OF our times. and exhort than
to be At this point examples 10 their
sisters, lending their voice an1 infiu-l
ence alike. against all extre1ne Of drees,
and seeking TO lead society In . more
worthy and wholesome direction"
Sex and Edweatieg.
The report sees real danger 10 what
We believe inheres In the too general
and indiscriminate publicity given TO
questions OF sex In the name OF Odu- /
cation = hut qualities the statement o.
follows:
: .It 10 understood, Of, course, in I'll
that 10 said above that there y only
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