The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-19

the women arc called They come out | escorted by the police that made the arrest and are met by a lawyer, whose attentions or services are accepted or re- iected. according ottheir desires or their finances. They are seated by small table in front of the judge while the officer states the case, then the woman has chance to put forth her side.
 T was going home. Judge, from a picture show" said slim girl in gray as the tears ran down her cheeks. T didn't do a thing to that man; he came up and spoke to me and pretended he wanted to make an engageemnt, which resented "No she didn't, your hon. or" spoke the young officer. "One at a, time please" said the low voiced judge. "Continue" the girl. There is noth- ing else to say, Judge, he just said come along and I saw there was noth- ing left to do. It's a lie if he said I spoke to him."
 Are there any witnesses in this case?" asked the clerk.
 In this particular case there were several, young man who very shyly said he had been Keeping company with the girl, but owing to misunder- standing they were not together on that particular night: girl who worked in the same store as the prisoner, and her landlady all testified to her character. The judge listened then said: Ever been up before, child?"
 'No, your honor
 Better be careful next time"
 "Not guilty"
 And she was dismissed, to be kissed shamelessly and tearfully by the sweet heart and caressed by the happy friends.
 This is the exceptional case that ends well, and may never have sequel. Another case was Mary -, poor Mag delain. She admitted having been up often first for one offense then an- other, and she was still very young, but the last offence was grave one-she had been caught selling dope.
 Ohi it made you want to cry out against the crime of poverty and the system that had made her possible. There were no witnesses for her-the went out to be locked up and later to come and repeat the charge doubt less-and so the seemingly endless chain went on.
 We lift our brow and say: There will always be this sort of thing, be- cause as far back as we can see there always has been this sort of thing" But has anyone the right to say this 'sort of thing will always be?
 It was never intended there should be such a crime against the ages that night court had to be- It was never meant that women, the mothers of the race, should be public property.
 And it has to be helped; it shall not breed disease for the future. We as the so-called protected women of the world, must lift up the sisters of the under world; they need our helping hands.
 Don't think because Birmingham doesn't need a night court it doesn't need you. It has the neucleus of every crime that New York or any large metropolis has, and if must be guard ed by the proper precautions against such things.
 Our task as women, as mothers and as sisters of the race of outcasts is to prove to everyone, through scien- tific study, carefully enforced laws and sincere appreciation, that we can make things better. We must not only abolish the effect from our midst, but abolish the causes. This can be done when we awake public conscience to the neces- sity of an adequate wage, proper su- pervision of all public amusements, ef- fectua1 laws provided for the protection of the women and children, and decent living in every way to make clean and healthy men and women.