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Powell, "The Moral Elevation of Girls," Feb. 1886
Document 2: Aaron M. Powell, "The Moral Elevation of Girls," Philanthropist,
1 (February 1886), pp. 5-6.
Introduction
In the following article, Powell reported on the activities of Grace H. Dodge and
Virginia Potter, who had formed a Working Girls' Society in New York City. Dodge,
recognizing the importance of preventive work to keep girls "pure," took the unusual
step of providing sex education to working women.[7] In this article, Powell
especially emphasized the importance of well-to-do "ladies" providing examples to
working women to help them resist the temptations that purity reformers believed
went hand-in-hand with working in factories and department stores. This emphasis
highlighted the class aspects of both purity reform and the age-of-consent
campaign--daughters who did not go out to work, reformers believed, remained
protected within their families. Working women were preyed upon by seducers-often
their employers, supervisors, or customers.
THE MORAL ELEVATION OF GIRLS.
__________
One of the encouraging signs of this era is the tendency in all
philanthropic efforts to consider more the causes of evils which we are
called upon to alleviate. A good illustration of this praiseworthy,
preventive work is the Committee of the State Charities Aid
Association of New York, which aims for the elevation of the poor in
their homes, of which Miss Grace H. Dodge is chairman and Miss
Virginia Potter secretary. From a report recently published, giving
suggestions concerning this effort, we quote the following: "Many
earnest women are devoting their lives to the task of raising those who
have fallen, but many more are needed to hinder others from falling, to
thwart the evil that threatens young lives, to interrupt temptation, and
stop the feet of those who run to destruction."
The practical methods employed for reaching those who need this
helpfulness are the formation of Girl’s "Friendly" Societies, Working
Girl’s Societies, Good Will Clubs, etc. In these organizations, by wise
tact and a sympathetic interest, the members are led to conduct them
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