Page:Roe 1911 What women might do with the ballot.djvu/9

 in the past men alone have ruled. Now that women are coming into their own right let us see what they may do toward the solution of this problem.

Professor Zueblin said two or three years ago in Boston: "Three great movements are shaping society at the present day, the political movement, the labor movement and the woman movement."

All these movements must work for a better moral standard. To accomplish this we must not only plan for present day needs, but we must look well to the future.

In the past few years a vigorous educational and legal campaign against the dealers in vice has been going on.

Laws both national and State have been passed and are now being enforced to some extent.

Some States have as yet not legislated against the traffic in girls. Women in those States should organize a systematic campaign to secure this legislation. If they find the road rough and filled with thorns they should proceed cautiously and perhaps not ask for too much at once.

In Illinois where the first law against panders was passed, we first pushed a law through which was fairly effective, then at the next session we amended that law and made it more broad and more effective. We have yet to ask there for a higher penalty for the first offense.

Having secured a law against the traffic in girls, see that the public officials enforce the law. Too often political influence will be used to prevent the active and sincere enforcement of these laws.

Does one for a moment believe that this white slave business could have grown to such importance if it had not been protected by officials who often maintain systems of blackmail, graft and tribute as revolting as they are dangerous to the general welfare of society. It is fairly safe to say that wherever houses of vice are operating in defiance of the laws, and most of them are so doing, some one is getting protection money. This is the political sore which women should help cure.

More important than the law against panders is the