Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-14
State SOCIAL HYGIENE
ASSOCIATION FORMED
VIII Perfect Organization and Seek
Real Legislation Against
Vice.
no ELECT OFFICERS TO-DAY
"ev. j. j. Grayatt, ID. d., Presides.
Speakers Include President Bout
wright, Rev. j. W. Shackford,
y. Is. Reynolds and l.. w. Register.

lEtSIucHU DouJ-
wright, Rev. j. W. Shackford,
). Is. Reynolds and L.. w. Register.
NJ the initial meeting Of the Vir-
L'nli state Social Hygiene Association,
n'id last night In the auditorium of
me Young Mems Christian Association,
plams for permanent organization wcro
outlined. and the general scope OF
WORK and the direction IL should luke
we're fully set forth by several promi-
t!cht speakers including Rev. j. J.
,iravat ID. d.. who presided; DIR. +.
". cartwright. president of Richmond
IoIieGe; Rev. John w. Shack ford. pas
tor or Broad Street Methodist Church:
James Is. Reynolds, of New York con :
hectcd with the American Social Hy-
creme Association. and DIR. l.. w. Roys-
Yer. u prominent physician of Norfolk.
frobably the most striking feature
81 the meeting was the strongly ac-
c"htuated suggestion OF one or two OF
'hc speakers that earnest and careful
study be made OF the vice problem In
an us aspects. and the results OF this
study be put In concrete form and
presented to the next Legislature, with
me idea of having enacted into law
measures that are known or seem like
~, at any rate. to lessen the evil.
CLEAN GRAIN FROM CIIAI'I'
OF PREVENTIVE LEGISLATION
Methods the speakers said. that have
proved eihcacious elsewhere must be
sought out, the grain CLEANED from the
chaff of much preventive legislation:
original ideas, gotten from personal
inflNidual study Incorporated. and
these applied to tho local situation in
INC most effective way possible.
The conference was opened with
prayer By Rev. W. D. smith Of Win
chester. after which Or. Gravatt the
presiding officer of the evening out :
iihed briefly the causes that made the
association necessary and how hc
thought IL must proceed cffectually 10
SpiNe the vice problem. Or. Gravatt,
VINO * a member OF Mayor Aiuslie' $
Vice Commission for Richmond said
mat moral dccidcncc had made most
alarming strides in the last ten years
oil the nations history, and that the
warfare against the monster OF this age
must be aggressive and unrelcntiny,
calling upon strong men to ngh; with
The strength OF desperation. one hone
iul sign. he said that pointed to the vi :
inmate solution OF the problem was the
awakening OF the public conscience TO
INC gravity of the situation and tho
desire OF the public TO know the condl-
lions as they are and be prepared TO
meet them: for Ignorance. the speaker
sara, was the greater source OF evil.
lie asserted that the double standard
az morality tended greatly TO keep
The morals of co-nmunity at "A !o,v
ebb.
CALLS For UNITED EFFORT,
SAYS DIR. BOATwRIGHT
Or. Boatwright. who substituted for
DR.. l.. a. Alderman. OF the University OF
virginia. was the next speaker OF the
evening. He presented Some Aspects
or the Problems OF Social Hygiene" DR..
Boatwright said that when Nirginians
got together" on any proposition they
generally accomplished things and tho
solution OF this problem certainly called
IHlr tod ,
y the people must he aroused and made 10
understand fully that the cancer was
eating everywhere; in the cities
, the towns. the villages, everywhere
throughout the length and breadth OF
the Commonwealth. All organizations
and influences for civic righteousness in
the state must be correlated and enlist :
ed III the warfare against the creates,
evil Of present day civilization. \ com =
mittee should tie named to formulate
plans to be presented TO the next I.eEis-
laturc as tho foundation OF 4 prcventa :
tive statute; strangers locating in the
cities, should be appriscd OF the most
desirable residential districts: innocent
recreation should nc provided for the
young people; and religion, the founda :
ton of character, and the brightest
hope Of a moral community should be
made the guiding star OF their lives.
Then, Or. BoatwriIht said. there would
he no social problem and the world
would move on with rapid strides
toward n better day and better time.
WOULD EFFECT PRACTICAL
WORKING ORGA NIZATION
DR.. Shackford. who spoke next. said
that the association should deal first
with the practical side of the question
that IL, the organization should be per-
fected in all it's details and the work
clearly outlined, so that AN aggressive,
systematic campaign might be made
The social evil, he said. was ages old
and was the direct result OF neglect.
II was new only In that the false prud-
cry OF a former day WAS at an end. and
men now had ceased to avoid 1t as an
impolite subject, but addressed them
selves earnestly and unreservedly To
the solution that must come in the in :
terest OF a higher, better life. Public
sentiment must he aroused; medical
established between citizen workers
and officers of the law. nm educational
propaganda inaugurated, and prevent
= i've Legislation secured. Concluding
Or. Shackrord said: Shall we mobilize
the army of righteousness against the
monster vice."
Mr.. Reynolds said that liquor and
vice were closely related. and a cam
paign against one meant n crusade
against the other. AS member of the
conditions In New York City. he found
there was n lack of cooperation be-
tween all the people. and this CO.
operation was very necessary. Mr.
reynolds asserted that 80 per cent OF
tho persons who were morally deficient
were also mentally deficient.
NOT ENTHUSIASTIC OVER
CLOSING SEGREGATED DISTRICT
Dr. Rovster stated that society was
responsible for its own problem in that
parents didn't do their duty in impart-
ing to their children knowledge that
would soon come to them in !, more
harmful way. He was not enthusiastic
over abolishinS segregated districts and
palminE off moral degenerateS on other
people; but thought the solution Of the
social evil lay rather In the proper
training Of the child.
The following committee on nomina
tons was appointed: II. w. Hughes
al Norfolk DIR. l., II. Royster of Nor
folk Rev. j. Il. Maston, d. D., of Rich
.,,nnd. G.enrsre y NEiso o.