The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1916-02-24
STA|D LEGISLATORS
VISIT 1ENDERLO|N
GO THROUGH JAcksoN's RE-
sTRIcTED DISTRICT; CONSIDER
CLEANING UP ALL CITIES.
gfe News.


Jackson, Miss, Feb. 24.-Several of
the staid and older members of the
Mississippi legislature yesterday af-
iternoOn took an excursion through the
red light" district of Jackson, in an
earnest effort to ascertain if certain
reports regarding the presence of chill
dren in the resorts were true. and
came away convinced that if there was
la child in any of the houses on Oak
ley street that one must have been
hidden away so well that it would
have taken a microscope to find the
baby.
The members who went to the"dis-
trict' are men of influence in the
Legislature, and they make quiet in
vestigation with open minds, so that
they could be prepared to vote intelli-
gently on the bill that has been intro
duced in the senate seeking to abolish
the "red light" districts of the cities
and towns of Mississippi Persons urg-
ing the passage of the bill, according
to the lawmakers, had said that they
had received reports that there were
thirty to forty children in the resorts
OF Oakley street, and that in a num-
Der of resorts of colOred women, white
children were being cared for. After
making the rounds of Oakley street,
the legislators went to a number of
negro resorts, and came away con-
WINGED that the reports they had heard
had been exaggerated, and that those
who had informed them of these rum
ors had been made to believe a myth
icaI condition prevailed.
The legislators did not go into the
district" when the lights were shin
ing, the pianos playing and the glasses
tinkling, but chose to go there in broad,
open daylight, when the places were
deserted except by the inmates, and
they could see conditions at their
worst. They believed that if a child was
to be seen that it would be in the day
time.
II believe" said one, after the trip
through the district" that there is
transformation about this
matter. I am going to read that bill
carefully before voting on it. Of course,
/ am opposed to immoral conduct, and
would fight immortality like it was
plague, but the question is, which is
the best plan?"
During the visits to the district"
houses the lawmakers questioned
many of the inmates and the house
keepers.
swell, if you close us up, what are
we to do?" asked one, and continued,
suppose we quit this life and tried
to make a living in an honest way,
who would give us employment? Who
would help us in an effort to better
ourselves? Why. man, if we women
went out of here and mingled with
decent folks, they would shun us, no
matter how sincere our desire to live
a moral life"
One woman said:
"Nine-tenths of the women who come
to our resorts have been married. l
do not share in the opinion that most
of them drift here because they want
to wear fine clothes"
Another said:
Poverty drives most of us to these
places. How is a girl to support her.
self on SO and 81 week? 1t cannot be
done"
The legislators who visited the re.
sorts frankly stated that the little ex-
cursion gave them much food for
thought on a moral and social prob
lem which had vexed the minds of ev-
cry man in public life, and which. it
is conceded, has never been solved
satisfactorily anywhere.