The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-12

the sessions courts. This is the simp-
lest way we have of protecting our
soldiers and civilians against the dep
relations of venerally diseased wo-
men, confirmed prostitutes. Such |
protection is of urgent economic and
military Importance.
To illustrates
(a) DR.. Williams reports that, to
speak conservatively, the patients in
the State Hospital for the Insane.
whose insanity was directly caused by
venereal disease. cost the State last
year at least $4,000.
(b) OF the 2,O1O conscripted men
rejected from Camp jackson after be.
ing mustered into service there, 1A4
or more than per cent, were re-
jected because of venereal disease in
acute form. In fact General Barth
writes from Camp Jackson: Fourteen
per cent. of the colored draft were in
tected at the time of entrance, per
cent. of the white"
(c) In one of the camp cities OF
this State the provost marshal writes
that Of the % young women under
arrest at one time all proved, on ex-
animation, to be infected with vene-
real disease. This alarming proper
tion of diseased women among prOsti-
tutes under surveillance" he says, "is
cause for grave. concern to the mill
tary authorities"
| (d) DR.. NJ j. EXner, who made
a special study of prostitution i'm it's
Relation to the Army on the Mexicon
Border" reports that 1.-The extent OF
the practice Of prostitution is in direct
ratio to its accessibility. The most
serious problem is in connection with
the mobilization camps and home bar
racks. In the case of all the troops
on the border, a vastly larger proper
tion of venereal disease was contracted
before reaching the border than was
contracted afterwards. This accords
with the experience Of the European
armies in the present war. The re-
liable facts at hand show that during
the first eighteen months of the war
one Of the great powers had moro
men incapacitated for service by We
nereal disease contracted in the mobi-
lization camps than in all the fighting
at the front"
CD To decrease further the sup
ply OF prostitutes by reaching th,
man side Of the problem, ask yo,
to submit this year a constitutions
amendment raising the age of consen
TO eighteen years In a. certain cour
ty i'm this State last fall, as related b,
county officer, young fifteen-year.
Old girl, living In the family Of he.
uncle, who was her guardian, be-
came the mother Of a child by thi.
self-same uncle. Thirteen States have
fixed the age of consent at eighteer
years; so should we. .-'
(D AS. long as so-called "re.
spectacle" people financial gain
by allowing their property to be use,1
for immortal purposes we may ex
pect a continual. selfish, underhanded
promotion of commercialized vice
Therefore, l ask you to pass an IN.
junction and abatement law, simila,
to that on the books of twenty-si,
other States, to provide the legaI
means for handling such people.
(O Lastly, the automobile has
greatly increased the facilities for
clandestine prostitution. The bel
boy in the hotel, conniving with inn.
moral women and lustful men, pre-.
sents a problem unsolvable under our
present laws Therefore, I ask Won
TO follow the lead of the federal gov.
eminent by making the principles Of
the Mann White Slave Law operotive
intra- State
Conclusion.
believe that our country is now
righteously aroused, and stands readv
for great endeavor. But the enor.
nous resources behind this endeavor.