The Washington times., 1917-01-27
KENYON FEELS
FOR MAGDALEN
Father of Segregated District
Bill Sympathizes With San
Francisco Women.
ATTACKS SOCIAL SYSTEM
Says Yesterdays Demonstra-
ton Shows Community Should
Aid Unfortunates.

Senator Kenyon, father OF the bill
which wiped out washington's segrS
gated district, today professed SYM
pathy and pity for the 800 women Of
the underworld who marched to the
home OF q crusader in San Francisco
yesterday and begged for a chance.
Commenting on the fact that the
crusader was deeply affected by the
remarkable demonstration by the
scarlet women, Senator Kenyon said:
'The sight OF those poor unfortu-
mates must have moved the minister
az 1t would any one else who has
studied the lives of such creatures
ana the social system responsible for
their existence. Such demonstrations
cannot fail to bring to a community's
attention the fact that these women
In harsh, cruel way, but with pity
and compassion.
'The social evil is a worid-old prob
lem. It will be world-old problem
, when the world comes to an end. 1t
cannot be entirely stopped. but IL can
be outlawed and passive tolerance by
society can be terminated"
Deeply Moved.
Senator Kenyon said he had been
deeply moved by conditions brought
to hib attention in Washington before
he introduced his bill for the aboli-
ton of the underworld in Washing
ton. BE said he was Eratihed over
the reports he had received from the
District Commissioners over the great
Improvement of conditions here since
the bill went into effect
The underworld is still one of the
biggest problems society has to-
face" continued Senator Kenyon.
The solution of the problem has not
yet, been found. and may never be.
Society owes II to these Magdalens
aAnd to itself to abolish licensed i'm
morality.
in countless cases the women are
not responsible for the life they lead.
They are driven into lives OF shame
by conditions. I believe 30 per cent
of them are redeemable and can be
made into good women. useful to So
ciety. Low wages are responsible
for great majority Of them enter
ing the underworld.
'NOther things. such as feminine
vanity and craving for pretty clothes.
contribute to the causes, but low
wages are principally responsible. 1t
Is human for women to long for
hnery,' which poverty denies them,
and II is readily understandable how
the weak women and unsophisticated
girls fall into the easiest way and
the path of least resistance.
Entitled to Chance. =
"These women in California ask for
a chance. They are entitled TO it.
They ask for q saner point of view
hrry ~ PafnrnaarR an thav
are entitled to this.
The social evil cannot be cast out
root and branch hastily. Society
owes 1t to these unfortunates to lift
them up out of their misery. to as
sist them to better lives. They
should be sympathetically dealt with.
encouraged. to lead respectable lives,
and society should assimilate them.
while the real redemption OF these
women must come from within them
selves, society can and should do a
great deal toward assisting them
out Of the depths of shame and re-
lstoring the outcasts to clean and use
full lives
Society Gets PrOnts.
The two strongest impressions I
. got while investigating conditions
in segregated districts" said Senator
kenyon, "oHch
high in life, who frowned down upon
and seemed to loathe women of the
underworld, were reaping enormous
profits from their real estate hold
ings In the restricted areas.
MY second strongest impression
was the fact that men who made
continuance of segregated districts
possible, who were equally culpable
with the women of the underworld,
were able to array themselves in
dress suits and be welcomed into
the finest drawing rooms and parlors
at social functions, while the unfOr-
tunate women had to be-r the shame
and ostracism."
Senator Kenyon was frank to state
that he did not believe conditions
in Washington were absolutely ideal
as the result of the operations of his
BILL, but he insisted that a big step
in the right direction was taken
when the segregated district was
abolished, and that conditions were
considerably improved according to
reports / have received"
Senator Kenyon says he looks at
the social evil from psychological and
pathological as we'll as a moral point
of view, and that anyone who studies
segregated districts from these
standpoints will find that they are as
indefensible from the viewpoint of
the scarlet women as well as society
ut large.