The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1917-02-09

San Francisco, Jan. 3O.-Nearly
900 women. mostly of the open un-
derworld. proceeded to Central Meth
cdist Episcopal Church here today to
see the pastor, the Rev. Paul Smith,
and asked him what ne intended to
do with them in connection with his
campaign for the suppression of the
downtown tenderloin.
This campaign started when Mr..
Smith was told that street soliciting
was in progress at the very doors of
bis church. Feeling that he was
meeting little encouragement, he
toured the district in company with
Investigators, and newspapers pub
l'shed what he reported he saw.
Yesterday Mayor James Rolph, Jr..
and the police commission held a long
session and announced that virtually
all of set of ten demands made by
Mr.. Smith for regulation under the
law would be granted. A mass meet
ing of citizens to discuss the problem
was held tonight.
"Vice a Man Problem"
For thirty minutes today Mr.. Smith
stood the target of questions resolv-
ing themselves into "What are you
going to do about it," and then the
women reluctantly trailed out of the
church. Mr.. Smith opened the meet
ing after two policemen had been
stationed at the doors and men hang
crs-on from the red light district had
been ordered from the auditorium.
lam not in crusade against you
women," said Mr.. Smith. "No per-
son in the world has more sympathy
Tor you girls than have. The prob
lem of commercialized vice is man
problem. Men are making the mon-
ey out of it. II am willing to be of
assistance to any woman in the world
who is in trouble.
II don't know your purpose in
coming bere. 4 an. willing to, hear
you. 4 =
A nicely dressed woman took the
pulpit beside Mr.. Smith.
Long for Decent Work.
~ have operated house of prosti-
tuition for eight years and have
studied the problem" she said. 81
want to ask first. how many of the
women in your church would accept
us into their homes-even to work?
You would cast us out-where to?
There isn't one among us here who
would not quit this life for decent
work. But we won't quit for wage
of 81 or SO week. A pair of shoes
nowadays costs SO.
Every woman here has at least
one child. We are against street
walking and the lives we lead as we'll
as you. But what are you going to
do about it?
81 know. have been in hospitals
and institutions and have seen the
blind and the detectives. know
what caused their condition.
II am the mother of girl of IA.
Another girl in my house is the moth
er of four. She was sick. She
wrote to her brother, a preacher, for
help. He answered, Trust in the
Lord
"These women before you are
products of men of shame who buy
them. You say, i don't want these
women around my church. My
church must be pure
"That is not what Christ said to
the Magdalen.
"You and your people say, Our
boys must sow their wild oats All
right; you see before you the harvest
of those oats
"If you want to stop prostitution,
stop the new girls from coming in.
The girls coming in will always be
coming in as long as conditions,
wages and education are as they are.
You won't do any good attacking us.
Why don't you attack the conditions?
"It won't do any good to drive us
out Of the city Has your city and
your church a different God that you
Grive evil away by sending us to 9th
CT cities?
ats the men who preach morality
and contribute to churches, who take
support from women to whom they
pay wages that drive these women
here into the life they lead.
"We will work for living wage"
Church Echoes.