Save the Girls.

White Ribbon, Volume 5, Issue 53, 1 November 1899, Page 10

Save the Girls.

In pleading for the abolition of licensed houses, the appeal is most frequently based on the ruin and degradation entailed by the liquor traffic on men and boys. And yet, judging from reliable authorities, “ Our Girls ” aie in greater danger of becoming inebriates than are “Our Boys.” In the Sept, issue of The Young Man published an interview with Rev. j. VY. Horsley, for ten years

CHAPLAIN AT CLERKF.NWF.LL, one of the largest prisons in England. In the course of conversation the question is put: “And the women-are there many habituals amongst them ?” And Mr Horsley, speaking from experience born of personal contact with the prisoners, answers: “Ah ! there you put your finger on one of the saddest facts of all. The habitual women prisoners are increasing at: a higher rate than the men. It is an alarming state of things. Last year, while there were 3830 convictions of men who had been convicted over twenty times (some of them hundreds), there were 6762 such cases among women. For the first time in the history of England the women in this class more than doubled the men. And the number of women who had been convicted eleven times and upwards was also largely in excess of the number of men. This class of women ‘ habituals’ has increased from 5000 cases in 1878, and 7000 in 1881, to nearly 12,000 at the present time. The chief cause of this growth of habitual crime amongst women is undoubtedly intemperance. Drunkenness amongst women is GROWING VERY LARGELY. And the women ‘ habituals,’ are much worse than the men. As a good woman is better than a good man, so a bad woman is worse than a bad man—uncommonly worse.” “ Prosperity,” Mr Horsi y went on to say, “ leads to much more crime than adversity. Prosperity means drink and DRINK MEANS CRIME. Alcohol is condensed crime, and crime is applied alcohol. ’