, 1922-01-04

DIR. Wilbur F. Crafts, superintend-
ent of the international reform bureau
with headquarters in Washington,
the salaried lobbyist of the best or
ganized reform interests, starts a WIS.,
it in Chicago with a violent attack up
on moving picture theaters as the
foundation upcn which most present
day evils are built up. Erom that he
goes on to the dance hall and Their to
the automobile, which he describes
suggestively as a moving bedroom"
DR.. Crafts has had some experience
in the war of righteousness, as defined
by himself, against the forces of svil,
as also defined by himself. There was
a time when he believed the liquor
saloon was the breeding place of vice,
crime and misery. He was a leader
In the fight against it. The liquor sa-
Don is gone. The breeding place of
vice and crime has been destroyed.
Yet, strange to relate, vice, crime,
and misery persist. What can a con-
scientious reformer with a salary to
earn do except to seek out the other
sources of evil, tear them up, root
and branch. and destroy them? No
thing. So DR.. Crafts advances to the
attack.
He finds evil in the movie houses,
more evil in the dance hall, and a
climax of utter ~depravity in the au-
fomobile. His course is clear. Attack
them. Destroy them. Legislate against
them. Leave not one stone upon ano-
Their, not one saxophone upon an or
chestra platform. not one coupe top
upon a chassis. Cast them all into
outer darkness. Destroy evil by des-
troying all sources and all contribut-
ing factors to evil. Make the world
good by law. Leave not one stumb-
ling block in the way of a weaker
brother or sister. S%traighten and
broaden and safeguard the way to
heaven SO that a blind imbecile can
travel it without fear of going astray.
1t will take some time, much effort
by DR.. Crafts and his associates. wears
OF lobbying, and years of salary col
lecting, but it can be done. Witness
the almost total elimination of evil
since the closing of the liquor saloon.
After DR.. Crafts has eliminated the
movie, the dance hall, and the "mov-
ing bedroom" he can extend his cam
paign to other things. First we would
suggest elimination of parks. Bench
es and secluded hooks afford rare on
portunity for the tempter in the ways
or original sin. There should be nc
parks where a man and a maid could
sit apart from their fellows and start
with a handclasp, and then with a
kiss. upon the road to perdition. And
the moon, that purveyor of summer
madness, must go. Many a girl has
been lighted to ruin by its beams.
Bathing beaches must follow. The in
fuence which they exert is nothing
short of s%candalous. Away with them.
Destroy the golf links. A mixed four
some may be divided in search for a
lost ball, and up will jump the devil.
Legislate away the hammock. It vir-
tually forces a closeness of associa-
ton which is r%uinous.
Bar vest pockets by law Our young
men are using them to carry a pair
of dice with which they teach our
daughters to shoot the alluring craps
between the entree and the roast.
Tear down the veranda; what sins are
committed behind the screen OF its
vines! Remove the davenport from
before the open fire. 1t embraces po-
tentialities of the most terrible evil.
Remove all darkness. 1t has been a
screen for vice and crime since the
beginning of time, the loved environ
ment of evil. Away with it. Let
h sun shine t~wenty-four hours a CAV.
1t isn't much of a program, but DR..
Crafts and his associates probably
will be willing to undertake it. at a
salary, when they have succeeded in
running all the automobiles In the
country out of gas.-Chicago Tribune.