第31章

CharlesStelzle，oftheLaborTemple——topublishconspicuouslythenameoftheownerofanypropertyusedforimmoralpurposes，aftersaidownerhadbeennotifiedoftheuseandhasfailedtopreventit。

Anotheristoprosecutethekeepersandbackersofbrothels，menandwomen，asrelentlesslyandpunishthemasseverelyaspickpocketsandcommonthieves。Theyshouldneverbefined；theyshouldbeimprisoned。

Asforthegirls，theveryyoungonesandfirstoffendersshouldbeputinthechargeofprobationofficersorsenttoreformatories，andthelargepercentageoffeeble-mindedgirlsandofincorrigiblegirlsandwomenshouldbesenttoinstitutionscreatedforthem。Wewouldthusremovefromthishideouscommercethearticlesofcommerce。

Moreover，theFederalGovernmentmustinever-increasingmeasureproceedagainstthedegradedpromotersofthiscommercialism，fortheiractivitiesareinter-StateandtheNationcanoftendealwiththemmoreeffectivelythantheStates；although，aspublicsentimentbecomesaroused，Nation，State，andmunicipalitywillallcooperatetowardsthesameendofrootingoutthetraffic。Buttheprimeneedistoraisethelevelofindividualmorality；and，moreover，toencourageearlymarriages，thesinglestandardofsex-morality，andastrictsenseofreciprocalconjugalobligation。Thewomenwhopreachlatemarriagesarebyjustsomuchmakingitdifficulttobetterthestandardofchastity。

Asregardsthewhiteslavetraffic，themenengagedinit，andthewomentoo，arefarworsecriminalsthananyordinarymurdererscanbe。

ForthemthereisneedofsuchalawasthatrecentlyadoptedinEnglandthroughtheeffortsofArthurLee，M。P。，alawwhichincludeswhippingforthemaleoffenders。Therearebrutessolow，soinfamous，sodegradedandbestialintheircrueltyandbrutality，thattheonlywaytogetatthemisthroughtheirskins。Sentimentalityonbehalfofsuchmenisreallyalmostasunhealthyandwickedasthecriminalityofthementhemselves。Myexperienceisthatthereshouldbenotolerationofany“tenderloin“or“redlight“district，andthat，aboveall，thereshouldbethemostrelentlesswaroncommercializedvice。Themenwhoprofitandmaketheirlivingbythedepravityandtheawfulmiseryofotherhumanbeingsstandfarbelowanyordinarycriminals，andnomeasurestakenagainstthemcanbetoosevere。

Asforthewretchedgirlswhofollowthedreadfultradeinquestion，agooddealcanbedonebyachangeineconomicconditions。Thisoughttobedone。Whengirlsarepaidwagesinadequatetokeepthemfromstarvation，ortopermitthemtolivedecently，acertainproportionareforcedbytheireconomicmiseryintolivesofvice。Theemployersandallothersresponsiblefortheseconditionsstandonamorallevelnotfarabovethewhiteslaversthemselves。Butitisamistaketosupposethateitherthecorrectionoftheseeconomicconditionsortheabolitionofthewhiteslavetradewillwhollycorrecttheevilorwillevenreachthemajorpartofit。Theeconomicfactorisveryfarfrombeingthechieffactorininducinggirlstogointothisdreadfullife。Aswithsomanyotherproblems，whiletheremustbegovernmentalaction，theremustalsobestrengtheningoftheaverageindividualcharacterinordertoachievethedesiredend。Evenwhereeconomicconditionsarebad，girlswhoarebothstrongandpurewillremainunaffectedbytemptationstowhichgirlsofweakcharacterorlaxstandardsreadilyyield。Anymanwhoknowsthewidevariationintheproportionsofthedifferentracesandnationalitiesengagedinprostitutionmustcometotheconclusionthatitisoutofthequestiontotreateconomicconditionsasthesoleconditionsorevenasthechiefconditionsthatdeterminethisquestion。Therearecertainraces——theIrisharehonorablyconspicuousamongthem——which，nomatterwhattheeconomicpressure，furnishrelativelyfewinmatesofhousesofillfame。Idonotbelievethatthedifferencesareduetopermanentracecharacteristics；thisisshownbythefactthatthebestsettlementhousesfindthatpracticallyalltheir“long-termgraduates。”sotospeak，allthegirlsthatcomeforalongperiodundertheirinfluence，nomatterwhattheirraceornationalorigin，remainpure。Ineveryracetherearesomenaturallyviciousindividualsandsomeweakindividualswhoreadilysuccumbundereconomicpressure。Agirlwhoislazyandhateshardwork，agirlwhosemindisratherfeeble，andwhoisof“subnormalintelligence。”

asthephrasenowgoes，oragirlwhocravescheapfineryandvapidpleasure，isalwaysindanger。Ahighidealofpersonalpurityisessential。Wherethesamepressureunderthesameeconomicconditionshastenfoldtheeffectononesetofpeoplethatithasonanother，itisevidentthattheque