Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-02-09
MRS. BARRETT SPEAKS
At GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Noted Worker in Florence Criben-
ton Mission Gives Talk to
Women.
Tells Of Work Along Line Of Kssyon
Bil Recently Passed by Congress

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woman who has made the world bet
ter or her having lived 10 it, talked
tor nearly two hours this morning at
the Government House to a body Of
women who filed the drawing room,
rece ption room and q portion Of the
dining room.
This little woman. with a most
pleasing personality and a certain
magnetism that compels your conf
dence. is Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett,
National President Of the Florence
Critic nton Mission, and international
Vice President II IL safe to cay that
Mrs. Barrett has a high opinion #
men and does not believe them the
vicious creatures they are generally
represented.
Mrs Barrett talked along the line
of work he is engaged in-that Of
saving and retrieving fallen girls
and WON en-, and along the line Of the
Kenyon Bill recently passed by Con-
gress for Washington and the Dis
trict Of Columbia, practically clean
ing out the Red Light District. She
said a woman's problem must be
solved by women. She told of the
origin of the Florence Crittenton
work and what IL stands for She
talked Of the responsibility we each
must bear for the other, of what each
woman stands for and repre- sents to
the world.
She told of the lives Of those un-
fortunate girls for over 100, 900 of
whom shs has actual records, who
have sailed o1t from their home port
to 81 unknown deep without a chart
or compass, and all because Of lack
Of proper home guidance or parental
care. 1t is a wonder, che said, more
do not land where the many do--a
sacrifice on the altar of ignorance
greed and lust.
Every parent and guardian, she
said. should teach child such things
from five TO seven years of age, not
wait until too late, as David did
when be asked ''Is the young man
safe after his son Absalom was
dead. 1t was too late then. He should
have found out when his son was a
boy of five or seven years. men and
women do not appreciate the fact
that they have great responsibilities,
and unconscious influences.
How many OF us Mrs. Barrett ask
ed, teach our boys and girls to ap-
preciate their responsibilities. We
should work for prevention and cure
lust IS we have done 20 find out the
cause Of typhoid and the serum for
its cure or prevention. TO clean up
the social evil we should study the
disease. Showing the difference
from = monetary standpoint betwe en-
the prices charged for decency and
immortality. Mrs. Barrett said, her
workers are now paying $50 month
/ for a furnished house in the Red
Light District to carry on their mis-
sion work, that the mistress Of an
immoral house paid SIS per week for
before the Kenyon Bill went into
effect.
MR.. Barrett defined vice ard
crime. Vice, she said is applicable
to individuals, crime to a commu.
nifty You cannot cure vice by legis-
lation, but you can cure crime by
legislation. Don't blame officials for
laws not being enforced, it is the
fruit Of the people. If we are goinl
to have good officials, We must stand
behind them, end give them concert
ed action. A politician, she said, il
afraid Of nothing, so much as wo
man tongue.
Mrs. Barrett urged the passage Of
bill to establish a Girls Reforma
tory for Maryland, Virginia and the
District OF Columbia, and each State
pay a per capita for the care of the
girls sent there. Mrs. Barrett de
plores the exploitation of the SCI
question in magzines, moving pic
ture shows and the like and says il
is for the unholY dollar just th'
same IS are the places of shame
She said you can't segre gate vic
any more than you can segregate lar
ceuy or any other evil. The question
was asked Why do we never hea
of fallen men Mrs. Barrett sal
because they are so common.
She closed her talk with the re
mark that When we know the trutl
we can adopt the socia! machinery t
requisite it. Her talk made dee
and lasting impression. After tn
meeting a Critfenton Circle wa
formed here.