Читать книгу Fighting the Traffic in Young Girls; Or, War on the White Slave Trade - Various - Страница 3

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"That glory may dwell in our land" is the motive of the writers of this book. With a true patriotism, that rejoices not in the iniquities we expose, that blushes crimson with humiliation over the crimes we record, that glows hot with indignation against the criminals we denounce, we have pursued the painful necessary task of telling the truth to the American people concerning evils that have made us reel with horror.

For the protection of the innocent, for the safeguarding of the weak, for the warning of the tempted and the alarm of the wicked, the truth must be told—the truth that makes us free.

Therefore we have used plain words—not coarse or vulgar, but chaste and true. Lawyers of the highest standing have introduced the legal language with which the statutes provide penalties for crimes against the honor and safety of women and girls. Physicians who are professors in medical colleges among the foremost in the world, men in reputation for their skill and beloved for their devotion to the people's welfare, have told here in medical terminology the intolerable consequences, to guilty and innocent, of the odious business of making commerce of girls and promoting the debauchery of young men. We are sure the time has come when millions will thank these lawyers and physicians for breaking the seal of secrecy and giving the people their birth-right—the truth.

It is told that after Dante had written his "Inferno" the women of Florence would turn pale and whisper to each other as he passed, "There goes the man who has been in Hell." Some of us have gone to the abyss and have seen things which are not lawful for a man to utter. Such as could fitly be told, and must be told, we have been telling for years past, knowing that the truth must prevail.

"Stronger than the dark the light,

Stronger than the wrong the right."

To our great joy the magazine having the largest circulation in the world, "Woman's World," with more than two million subscribers, took up the appeal for the safety of American and alien women and girls in September of last year. This magazine has already printed or caused to be printed and circulated fully fifty million pages, and it is enlisted for the war—war on the most shameful crime of debauchery and exploiting the youth of both sexes.

This is a critical time for our nation. We must now decide whether to stamp out the White Slave Traffic and its attendant vices, or to go the broad way that has led both ancient and modern nations to destruction.

"Today we fashion destiny,

Our web of fate we spin.

Today for all hereafter,

Choose we holiness or sin;

Today from lofty Gerizim

Or Ebal's cloudy crown,

We call the dews of blessing

Or the bolts of cursing down."

Concerning the effect of vice upon the destiny of nations the Encylopaedia Britannica (Volume 32, page 32), says truly: "Though it may coexist with national vigor, its extravagant development is one of the signs of a rotten and decaying civilization *** a phase which has always marked the decadence of great nations."

But though we thus speak we are confident that this is truly the land of the free—free, glad, safe womanhood—and the home of the brave—men brave enough to protect our girls and to deal with the White Slave traders and all their sort as they deserve.