The Washington times., 1914-03-21
Bv KATE WALLER BARRETT.

by hA4C 7" "A
II personally would make an af-
fdavit that a careful investigation
n course of time will show that not
more than per cent of these wom-
IN will take up domestic work or
work In a department store for an
Ionest living. The labor is too
lard work for that class of women,
and not enough money in it for them
and their mode of living.
When / was on the police force,
and came in closer contact with
hem. they passed the remark fire.
quently and openly. that they could
make more money in a few hours
Gin their own way) than a working
girl makes by hard labor in whole
week.
Il would further invite your at
1ention to by connection on the sub
1ect, that these women now Will
scatter all over the city and live
IN the same old accustomed way.
The above letter from former po-
ceman shows the same mental at.
-itude which has been the cause OF
20 much of the low standard OF
public morals.
Our Rights and Those of Others.
The first proposition he makes.
hat because women are not willing
10 do honest work and are not salts
led with the simple life. We should
5e willing to permit them to do as
they please, even II it be to wreck
civilization, is fundamentally wrong.
l. fo11ori0nG
6angerous as to argue that because
= person prefers to do wrong, ne
should be left to his own device
II this were the attitude toward all
Iawbreakers, there would be no
iced of LEGISLATION or restrictions.
hut every place would be invaded by
rlose who wanted to try out their
own ideas. in regard to the road to
happiness.
Utilization is built upon the ap-
recitation Of the rights Of others
democracy is founded upon the
correct relation between the rights
Of ourselves and the rights of others.
bill of rights" to mean anything.
must conserve the best interests
From the attitude Of some people
toward prostitution, one might infer
hat II was a great productive In
!ustry. and that its activities, when
interfered with, strike a blow at the
wage-earner. One Of the toughest
Arguments against the elimination
number OF persons would be thrown
out Of employment This is onset
by the prohibitionists' statement
that a bushel Of corn used in max
ing whisky returns a smaller per
centaze to the general pubic, IN
productive labor, than one used in
other ways.
Ficttions Values.
But what can those who speak
Of prostitution as a business offer
20 the public in the way Of indus
trial betterment? Is there a single
legitimate avenue Of trade that Is
benefited by it or does it add one
dollar Of finished product to the
worlds wealth? If there were 10000
prostitutes in the city Of Washing
ton. eaningg $4,000 a year each.
would the city be richer for their
earnings? Would it be the easier
for the working girl and the honest
working man to make a better liv-
ing upon a basis that would mean
progress?
Is there anything in the material
world that she would touch that
her touch would mean intrinsic in
crease in legitimate values?
Tne one possible exception in re-
gard to this phase Of the subject
would be inflated real-estate vallfes.
But the same property rented as a
gambling hall or as a policy joint
should be just as valuable. Or
could We have a city of refuge for
ell law breakers and thus enormous
" increase the holding of certain
favored landlords? An enormously
amount OF criticism has been engen-