ive in a mixed audience such as
this. Too long have we buried our heads in the sand; too long have we
been silent on these great subjects; too long have we lied to our little
ones, and thereby helped to bring about the destruction of so many of
them.

I am not one of those who believe for a moment that salvation lies in
education alone. Most drunkards know the evil of drink. Most men that
yield to these temptations have some idea of the evil that they are
going into, but girls in great numbers do not know. The young boys in
great numbers do not know. Just as Dr. Hall said, you cannot appeal to a
thousand school or college men, putting before them the truth, bringing
them to the knowledge of terrible danger--and get any but one response.
Our young people are noble and brave and we can rely upon them. If we
could not, there would not be much hope of our country. We must educate
them. We must tell them the facts. It isn't many years ago that the
physicians were most guilty on this subject. If they had but told the
men of our generation what we are now endeavoring to tell the young
people of today, there would not be as many of these operations as there
are now. But they passed off these matters so indifferently, as they
might a slight cold, and that is what they all did practically about ten
years ago. It was a crime against the young people of that day. The
physicians, the clergymen and the laymen have all been awakened to a
realization of our duties, at least, so far as education is concerned.
It is up to us to see to it that all the boys and girls know something
of the mystery of life that they may guard against the dangers and the
temptations that confront them.

Dr. Hall spoke of some of the evils that await the innocent wife. Let me
carry that a step further and apply it to local conditions. In our
County Hospital we have a floor in the children's ward for the treatment
of these cases among the children. Dr. Billings, President of the State
Board of Charities and one of the, if not the leading physician in this
section of the country, and Dr. Frank Churchill, one of the leading
children's specialists of this city, told me a few days ago that there
are from forty to sixty children at all times in that department, and
that this disease is so virulent, so contagious, that there is grave
danger to every child that enters that building and is treated for other
diseases in other distinctive parts of that building, and tha