The Washington times., 1914-04-05


After those experiments Creel set
about studying disease. Denver had
bossted a rigorous medical inspec-
ton. When the red light district
there was closed IA of the inmates
from the best known houses were
taken to hospitals, and of those 102
were found TO be suffering from the
worst forms of Yenereal diseases.
Here in Washington you have
the problem of what to do with the
former inmates of these houses
You are working out the problem
with the best facilities at hand.
"Rut what should be proviGed pc
fore such a cleanup is undertaken
is a farm for these women. Inls
Industrial farm should be equipped
with a hospital. II should be
clearing house for the reformed
women. 1t would prevent their
being turned loose upon the COM
Inunitv to become = worse menace
than when their activities were
supervised.
of turning them loose under any
circumstances is toe great. call his
attention to the fact that in no
City is the percentage of prostitutes
in the segregated district greater
than is per cent or the whole num-
Der in that city
Remember that while Creel was
willing to talk at length on this
rhase Of reform, because Washing
Ton has Just gone through what
Denver experienced three years ago,
he wants it understood that the
vice problem is only one phase OF
a city's cleaning up"
His measures for reform il Colo
Isdo included an eight-hour law.
The recall of judicial decisions, a
mothers compensati>n act, head
less ballot, and a statewide civil
service. There are more, but those
are sufficient to Snow the range
OF his interests, and among these
Is he is anxious that none. inciud-
ing the ice problem. be exaggerated
"Reformers" Discounted His Ideas.
L.et him sketch the story of his
fght for these reforms. first as
editorial writer, then as political
aCitator. and finally as police COM
missioner, and you will see that,
while he was thrown out Of the IasL
named position. he does not con-
slider himself a failure. Because
every che of his. measures now
aru operative in Colorado.
4 few OF his pel IDEAS were dis
ton he helped elect. and VIII ell
turned upon him when he demanded
that I keep its canrpa.Sn pledges.
DpC OF uIs acts tnaI attracted wide
attention was the taking away of
clubs from policemen. Before he did
alat there were three or four club
biRgs a week. Afterward there was
but one police row. His description
Of that embodied another pet idea,
the active participation of women in
civic administration.
I brought Miss Josephine Roche
TO Denver 10 take charge of the
commercialized amusement situation.
l wanted her to find out wherein
the city might compete with private
enterprises in furnishing amnse-
ments. I also wanted her to study
the relation of conmercialized
EmuseInents to concentrated vice.
One night a policeman, a big,
burly. tactless fellow, of the type
who antagonizes the citizens whom
he should befriend, entered a hall
where she was to speak. He jostIed
several men. and one of them tioored
him. Others gathered about and
kicked him Miss Victor came upon
the scene, made her way to the
thick of the fray, and grabbed two
rutfians by the collar.
am ashamed of you ALL she
soC. Now we don't want your
nantes, but l want everyone of you
=" report to Commissioner Creel in
the morning These men knew her
and respected her. And every one of
them showed UP next day.
She is the new type of colI<ss
gil. intensely active. energetic, and
efficient. The more like her We get
IN city. the greater will be the
harf7t TO clean government"
This same sort of liberation for the
'thor fellows viewpoint led CreeI to
Introduce his famous honor trust"
scheme into the State prison
one time we had EO0 Of the S9N
convict, working On roads more than
f"O miles from the prison. They
r''re Ullfuarded and unmatched. And
there w.re no esca pes. The men
"@rc put on their honor and they
hNed Lp 10 their uromises
Creers Romance.
Why. when ] was on my honey
moon. my wife and climbed to the
i9D of the Royal Gorge with two
lfe-termers. and they carried my
guns around all day"
That episode was tie cuImination
~ A romance that is as full of ad
"entVres and thrills es the career of
'nV heroine whom the bride. Blanche
Bates, had ever unfolded on the
stage.
While Creel vas standing the fire
~ Nltuperation. CalUmny and
threats from his political enemies
during mis- fight for commission
form o. government. Miss Bates
surprised Denver by coming 10 the
% Oh
and taking her place in the thick
NJ the fEht beside her fiarce, talk
'rg working and giving blow for
blow.
During all this time Creel's enc
mics had spies in every city where he
H7d lived, trying TO get evidence to
Nesrnlrch his character. daily casting
'sIe-sions on him. and even upon his
Intended wife. but he came through
nat fire upscathed
'reel can describe the first strug-
eIss Of the readjustment under the
I'eht- hour law in Colorado, and the
NAL VindicstiOn of the idea he can
.eli - the fight for mothers cornpen-
'ati"E- OF the triumphant passage of
Z Statewide civfl service act, which
ncluHies even the heads Of State in
and of his most cherished
-cforn. home rule for cities
But ] am not a hero or MARTYR"
- flashed. Friends have been busy
oicturing me as the victim OF ruf-
''ans. kicked about and ALWAYS CON-
ng hack TO be kicked some more. bid
ne my time for some sort of triumph
lit vindication.
To be sure. ] was kicked out Of
he police comrnissiOnership saw it
,orning and helped the process along.
rhc mayor 7 elected had gone back
,n his pledges. 7 wanted to make
i'm show his hand. And did
When ] saw he was leaning toward
he ether two members of the board
Thich combined the excise and police
md IRE regulation OF the city, ] sim
Ily went In and bswled out the other
wo members. told one of them he
vas drunken loafer, and awaited
',sults. They came. ] was ousfed.
Au..nLl.I