The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-17
PEOPLES FORUM
rs 10 the Inmates =.

Editor virsinian:
SRI have read with much interest your
editorials aud letters recently. dealing with the
'fed-hEht' Districts Of our cities and Richmond
In particular and We ell agree tina. the,. arc
undesirable and nuisance on account of the
temptations they extend to our boys and Young
men and on the other side to our morally
weak girls
let ] have seen no plan suggested as to what
disposition We shall make of these poor untor-
innate girls when Kick them out. They are
3 human he'hss just with the same
eastes the same sense Of feeling the same sense
81 Justice and in many cases bright minds that
VIZ compare with our average woman: and in
ADDITION to this they, SIS q rule. have stronger
PASSIONS which they could or did not control
hepee the places find them
We do not like to admit it. bat. vs. know. thai
,oese girls come from all walks Of life, and from
all grades Of society hence they represent ali
classes.
Theg nave bodies % be clothed and fed and
souls to be saved as much SO as have
We cannot. with any sensc Of justice ask
these unfortunate girls to give up the life Of
ease dissipation and sin unless We car offer
them something in exchange that will at least
offer them decent and honest living
To Kick them ont Washington and Atlanta
nave recently done simply crowds them iuts
other nearby cities making conditions worse
there. Surely this Is not the Christian spirit for
Christian people 10 practice towards them and
We could never reform their habits or save their
In the state Of Virginia / should say that pre
have possibly four or five thousand OF these
unfortunate girls in towns and cities and it
Is our duty. Il duty We owe To God and our fell
low men, 10 take CT our unfortunate girls
and not try to shift the responsibility to other
States and other cities II is az much our duty
to take care 81 and try to bring about a refor-
nation of these girls II IL to take care 81 our
insane, own poor.
our best physicians toll us that this il a & much
~ r disease with these women as vvhiskey is
with the drunken sot What snail we d. with
them II they agree TO reform. that they may
quire the necessities Of life by work? Will our
wives, daughters and sisters agree that they
shall be taken into our Offices az ~tenographers
or In our big stores clerks. or our varous fac
tories to work, as their sdaptabiity may be best
suited? Where they YIN come In daily contact
with our honest young men and young women.
Would we be willing for daugters 10 work
side by side with them, even IL knew that
they had reformed Would our office men he
willing to take tho chances Of public criticism?
Would our merchants be willing to take the
chances NJ being able employ honest girls
OF good character 10 work along with them, and
also Of being able 20 hold their trade with the
public
We All Know wei what the answer would
be TO these auestons. In other words there is
absolutely no place in society for these girls
AT present. either with Christians or non-Chris-
tons We can't lock them ali up In iaiis and
we have public institution where We could
put them, II they wanted to go II might
be more merelfui to chioriform Of them
we're 1t lawful So the question remains un-
answered Wnrs ~hall we do with them when
kick them out?
I This is common sense practical view of the
situation as seen by a countryman.
II. p. BAKER.