Year: 1871

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Quoting an article from the New York
World alludes to the effort now being made
to save the fallen women of Washington,
by the christian ladies of that city, as the
"meddlesome, indecent and unwomanly do
ings of the female reformers of Washing
ton."


The noble women to whom this most un-
just and discourteous allusion is made by
the Whag, have simply tried to save the
lost women of the city in the only manner
which has ever been successful, namely, by
giving them opportunities of earning their
living honestly. They have endeavored to
organize homes for them, where industrial
pursuits might be carried on, giving them
at the same time respectable dwelling
place and an honest calling. They have
shown practical good sense in this, and are
receiving hearty and generous support,
increasing daily as the true nature of their
work is known.


They early found that the great obstacle
in the way Of reforming the women lay in
the opposition of bad men, who had formed
alliances with them. A large share of
these were married men, who, while living
with innocent wives at home, frequented
these places, and supported their favorites
there. 1t became necessary to expose this
horrible condition Of things, and therein
lies the great offence. These noble women
tried to save the homes of purity from pol
luton, and the veins of Graded innocence
from the taint of the most loathsomc dis
ease known to medical science. Yet the
Richmond Wing prints, with apparent ap-
proval, this atrocious extract from the New
York World, worthy Of Five Points, the
foul atmosphere in which it originated:


That men are not punished as sterniy as wo-
men for lapses from virtue need no. aifiict any
woman save those who have committed or VINO
may mediate The lapses ftom vir.re. 1t certain
ly seems 10 afict these women in Wcsh:pc ton.
If theif demand for equal libery in this regard
for woman and for man be not a demand for lib
erty 10 siu wi.hou. pcying the social penalty Of
sin it ha at al, and hey have gratui ous
ly entered upon this di@cps ion for the mere sake
of publicly talking forbidden topics. There IRE
points at which Podsnap has his uses, aud tls is
of them TO ignore whatever is pas,y is incpm-
bent on all of us, unless some good is likely 10 re-
suit from meddling with IT, The Wasbin =
women have not shown this justification for -
ring the social cesspooI. And decent socisv
onght to give them to understand the meaning
and the reason of the fiue old Feejee custom of
taboo"


Punishment is designed as restraint
from crime. If it is inadequate, we ex-
pect crime will increase. The position
assumed then, is that riituoas women have
no interest in having men restrained from
patronizing brothels. This is precisely
what the World says and the Richmond
Wing endorses. We appeal to the per-
sonal knowledge Of every mature reader,
to the experience of our medical men, and
to the books of medical science, upon this
question. The answer comes in the long
and fearful array of diseased wives, and of
children, in whose blood flows the terri
BILE poison of syphilis. Every physician Of
large practice can count them by the
score oil over the country, from Maine TO
Georgia. Will you tell us that your
wives of Richmond and your daughters
and sisters, who are to become such, have
no interest in preserving the purity of their
husbands or of those who are to become
such? Will you indorse this cowardly and
diabolical doctrine, that an attempt to save
these bright, young creatures from the fate
of so many of their sex, by increasing the
punishment of the men, who, by single
lapse may taint their blood, and that of
their posterity to the latest generation, is
unwomanly and indecent? The Wing dare
not deny what we assert.


The brothels of this city are largely pat
ronized By married as aceA as single men Of
the most respectable standing, and their poi
SON streams of disease and death are taoacing
into the best families Of the land!


And yet the Richmond Wing, the par
ticular organ of the virtuous responsibility
Of this city, discouragcs well-meant effort
. to heal the fearful disease in neighboring
city, and reprints, with its approval, a mix
ture of maudlin nonsense, coarse ribaldry,
and falsehood--a cowardly and dastardly
insult to the christian women of the Capt.
tai.


In this good work begun at Washington
the whole country has an immediate inter-
est. The good name Of the Capital city of
the nation ought to be dear to every citizen.
Deeper than that, is our need of security
for the thousands who annually 60 there,
our most brilliant and promising youth.


We would remove temptation from
their pathway and make the Capital a safe
resort for young men. We would raise
between every innocent wife and the infecti-
GUS poison of the brothel the most formida-
BILE barrier possible. We distrust either
the good sense or the virtue of any man or
woman who objects to this.


We ask the Wing in all good faith to re-
consider its dangerous and untenable posi-
ton upon this subject, and take one in keep
ing with its well earned character, and
unite in the work to purify and elevate the
society in which our children must live for
good or evil. The first step Of reform
lies IN the fearless exposure Of the sorong.
Prudes and prohigates may seem shocked.
Mr.. Creamcheese and Mrs. Ftz Noodle may
hold up their hands in horror, but all who
honor and love virtue rather than the APP
pearance Of it, will welcome any revela-