The History of Prostitution Part 45

Condition. Numbers.

Single 1216 Married 490 Widowed 294 ---- Total 2000

The civil condition of the prost.i.tutes in New York City furnishes matter of serious consideration in view of the slight restraints which the ordinarily received rules of society place upon the pa.s.sions, and the utter inefficiency of such regulations to counteract the influences tending to female degradation; influences, in fact, which they very frequently augment rather than check. In the cases of many females now under notice, marriage was invested not only with the sanctions of a civil contract between the parties, as recognized by our state laws, but, according to the tenets of the Roman Catholic Church, was regarded as one of the seven holy sacraments which it is deemed an act of sacrilege to violate. Yet, in the face of these ordinances, the civil contract is broken, the sacrament is profaned in one fourth of the total number of cases, or four hundred and ninety out of two thousand which are now under notice. It would be out of place to enter here on any disquisition respecting the duties of the married state; regarded in its abuses as provocative of prost.i.tution it is noticed hereafter. Enjoined by the precepts of Holy Writ, supported by the sentiment of the world, and respected by all virtuous men, marriage is an inst.i.tution which needs no argument to enforce its claims to the most rigid observance.

That this sacred compact is too frequently violated by one or other of the contracting parties is proved by almost daily experience either in courts of law or by intercourse with the world. Conflicting testimony sometimes renders it doubtful to whom the blame ought to be imputed, but there can be no uncertainty whatever as to the opinions entertained by society at large in such cases. If the husband has been guilty of a breach of his conjugal duties, he reads the whole of the evidence, graphically reported, with occasional embellishments, in the columns of the daily papers, flatters himself that he is acquiring notoriety, is congratulated by friends of his own predilections on his success, and in a short time is fully reinstated in his former social position. On the contrary, if the weight of evidence is against the wife, the whole artillery of the world's scorn is leveled at her head. She is driven from society, crushed by the proudly virtuous frowns of her own s.e.x and the contemptuous sneers of the other. Dishonored and despised, she is too often left with no means of existence but indiscriminate prost.i.tution, the temptation to such degradation being aggravated by the consciousness of her previous infidelity and its results. There is no possibility of salvation for her.

The moral world has resolved she shall not repent, and the least attempt on her part to atone for an error over which she mourns with all the intensity of her nature is sternly resisted by the virtuous indignation of society, which erects an impa.s.sable barrier between herself and her hopes of reformation.

Of the prost.i.tutes in New York, one thousand two hundred and sixteen have never been married. Their sin is the less because they have not to answer for broken vows, nor have they any outraged confidence on which to brood, but to endure only the sin and odium attached to their present condition.

Two hundred and ninety-five prost.i.tutes are widowed. In their cases death has put an end to the marital contract, and, thus left free to act for themselves, they stand in nearly the same condition as single women.

An investigation of the nativities of these women shows that about one third each of the single and married prost.i.tutes are natives of the United States, and of widows about one half were born in this country.

The question may arise as to the causes to be a.s.signed for the depravity of married women, and for the large proportion of widows in the ranks of the abandoned. It would certainly appear that one of the princ.i.p.al, if not _the_ princ.i.p.al cause which can be specified is the very early age at which such marriages are contracted. Young people yield to the impulse of a moment, acknowledge the charms of a person they meet in a ball-room or public a.s.sembly, and are married with a very imperfect knowledge of each other's character, with but little reflection on the probable result of the alliance, and with but a slight appreciation of the obligations they are contracting. It was a wise regulation, whether regarded physically or morally, which fixed the earliest period of marriage in ancient Germany at twenty-five years, and declared the union invalid if the parties had not reached that time of life; nor would the morality of New York suffer if a similar restriction was the rule instead of the exception here. The annexed cases, selected at random from the replies received, are submitted in support of this opinion.

E. C., now nineteen years of age, is a married woman, who has been separated from her husband five years, and must therefore have been married when less than fourteen years old. C. W., now twenty-one years of age, has been a widow for five years, and was married at fifteen. A. S.

was married at sixteen, and E. R. at fifteen. C. C., now twenty-eight years old, has been a widow more than twelve years. C. G., aged twenty-four, has been a widow seven years. Both these women were under sixteen when married. The list might be extended almost indefinitely.

The following inquiry, as a continuation of the same branch of the subject, is embodied in this section.

_Question._ IF MARRIED, IS YOUR HUSBAND LIVING WITH YOU, OR WHAT CAUSED THE SEPARATION?

Causes. Numbers.

Living together 71 Ill-usage of husbands 103 Desertion of " 60 " " " to live with other women 43 Intemperance 45 Husbands went to sea 39 " refused to support them 29 Infidelity 25 No cause a.s.signed 75 --- --- Totals 419 71 --- 419 --- Aggregate of married women 490

The most striking and painful fact in these answers is revealed in the first line of the table, which contains an announcement so disgraceful to humanity that, but for the positive evidence adduced by the figures, it would be scarcely credited, namely, that of four hundred and ninety married women now living as prost.i.tutes, seventy-one (more than one seventh) are cohabiting with their husbands. It can not be controverted that such cohabitation necessarily implies a knowledge of the wife's degradation, and a partic.i.p.ation in the wages of her shame. Nor will any argument, however plausible, succeed in removing from the public mind the conviction that the man is far the more guilty party of the two, and he can not escape the suspicion that he was the primary agent in leading his wife to prost.i.tution, or, in legal parlance, he was "an accessory before the fact," While such a consideration will not exonerate the woman from her offenses, it may be justly pleaded in extenuation; although it will not prove her guiltless, it will sink him to the lowest depths of disgrace.

The conduct of husbands is alleged in a majority of the cases as the cause of separation; two hundred and thirty-five out of four hundred and nineteen women give the following causes:

Husbands refused to support their wives 29 " deserted their wives 60 " " " " to live with other women 43 Ill-usage of husbands 103 --- Total 235

The cases wherein "intemperance," "infidelity," or "no cause a.s.signed"

were replied, are vague, and may be construed to attach blame to either, or both.

Sufficient has been proved to show that in many cases prost.i.tution among married women is the result of circ.u.mstances which must have exercised a very powerful influence over them. The refusal of a husband to support his wife, his desertion of her, or an act of adultery with another woman, are each occurrences which must operate injuriously upon the mind of any female, and, by the keen torture such outrages inflict on the sensitiveness of her nature, must drive her into a course of dissipation.

Many women thus circ.u.mstanced have actually confessed that they made the first false step while smarting from injuries inflicted by their natural protectors, with the idea of being revenged upon their brutal or faithless companions for their unkindness. Morality will argue, and very truly, that this is no excuse for crime; but much allowance must be made for the extreme nature of the provocation, and the fact that most of these women are uneducated, and have not sufficient mental or moral illumination to reason correctly upon the nature and consequences of their voluntary debauchery, or even to curb the violence of their pa.s.sions.

"Ill-usage of husbands," a crime particularly rife in England, and apparently fast becoming naturalized here, also stands as a prominent cause of vice, and is one which can not be too pointedly condemned. It strikes at the root of the social fabric, and must invariably be denounced both on account of its enormity as an offense, and of its almost inevitable consequences to the woman, a sense of degradation, too often followed by the sacrifice of rect.i.tude as the only means to escape such brutal tyranny. Without advocating capital punishment, it may be allowable to suggest the query whether our city would not be benefited if all such unmanly offenders against propriety were to be tried by a jury of married women, and hanged without benefit of clergy.

The following table will conclude this section:

_Question._ IF WIDOWED, HOW LONG HAS YOUR HUSBAND BEEN DEAD?

Length of Time. Numbers.

Under 6 weeks 2 " 3 months 6 " 6 " 8 " 7 " 1 " 8 " 2 " 1 year 22 " 2 years 30 " 3 " 38 " 4 " 33 " 5 " 24 " 6 " 21 " 7 " 17 " 8 " 18 " 9 " 16 " 10 " 13 10 years and upward 32 Time not specified 11 --- Total 294

It will be perceived that nineteen prost.i.tutes have been widows less than one year, twenty-two for one year, thirty for two years, and so throughout the scale. The table presents but little necessity for observation, the princ.i.p.al conclusion to be drawn from it being that the majority of this cla.s.s are driven to a course of vice from the dest.i.tution ensuing on the husband's death. It has been shown that a large number of them are very young, and it can be scarcely necessary to repeat that any young woman in a state of poverty will be surrounded with temptations she can with difficulty resist. Much as this state of society may be deplored, its existence can not be denied.

_Question._ HAVE YOU HAD ANY CHILDREN?

Condition of Replies. Total of Women. Yes. No. Women.

Single 357 859 1216 Married 357 133 490 Widowed 233 61 294 ---- --- ---- Totals 947 1053 2000

The women who reply to this question in the affirmative are

Single women 357, or 30 per cent.

Married " 357, " 73 "

Widows " 233, " 79 "

In continuation of this subject is the

_Question._ IF YOU HAVE HAD CHILDREN, HOW MANY?

Number of Number of Women. Condition of Women. Children Born.

357 Single women 490 357 Married women 791 233 Widows 636 --- ---- 947 Women were mothers of 1917

The replies give the total number of children borne by each cla.s.s: thus the single women have given birth to four hundred and ninety-one children, the married women to seven hundred and ninety-one children, and the widows to six hundred and thirty-six children. The following tables exhibit the same facts in a more extended form, showing the number of children which each woman has borne, and specifying the s.e.x.

_Question._ IF YOU HAVE HAD CHILDREN, HOW MANY?

REPLIES OF SINGLE WOMEN.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Number Borne by each. Totals. of ---------------------- --------------------------------- Women. Boys. Girls. Abortions Boys. Girls. Abortions. Aggregate ------ ------- ----- ------ --------- ----- ------ ---------- --------- 1 Mother 8 2 8 2 10 2 Mothers 3 3 6 6 12 2 " 2 3 4 6 10 1 Mother 1 4 1 4 5 1 " 3 2 3 2 5 1 " 1 3 1 3 4 1 " 4 4 4 1 " 3 1 3 1 4 5 Mothers 2 1 10 5 15 6 " 1 2 6 12 18 3 " 3 9 9 2 " 3 6 6 33 " 1 1 33 33 66 4 " 2 8 8 17 " 2 34 34 150 " 1 150 150 99 " 1 99 99 27 " 27 27 1 Mother 4 4 4 ------ ------- ----- ------ --------- ----- ------ ---------- --------- 357 272 187 31 490 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

REPLIES OF MARRIED WOMEN.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Number Borne by each. Totals. of ----------------------- -------------------------------- Women. Boys. Girls. Abortions Boys. Girls. Abortions. Aggregate ------ ------- ----- ------ --------- ----- ------ ---------- --------- 1 Mother 7 8 7 8 15 2 Mothers 7 7 14 14 28 1 Mother 7 6 7 6 13 1 " 8 4 8 4 12 1 " 6 6 6 6 12 1 " 4 6 4 6 10 1 " 5 4 5 4 9 2 Mothers 4 4 8 8 16 2 " 3 4 6 8 14 1 Mother 7 7 7 1 " 2 4 2 4 6 6 Mothers 4 2 24 12 36 3 Mothers 2 3 6 9 15 7 " 3 2 21 14 35 5 " 4 1 20 5 25 3 " 4 12 12 8 " 2 2 16 16 32 7 " 3 1 21 7 28 5 " 3 15 15 11 " 3 33 33 11 " 1 2 11 22 33 23 " 2 1 46 23 69 4 " 1 1 4 4 8 28 " 2 56 56 28 " 2 56 56 74 " 1 74 74 115 " 1 115 115 4 " 1 4 4 1 Mother 3 3 3 ------ ------- ----- ------ --------- ----- ------ ---------- --------- 357 459 325 7 791 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

REPLIES OF WIDOWS.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Number Borne by each. Totals. of ----------------------- -------------------------------- Women. Boys. Girls. Abortions Boys. Girls. Abortions. Aggregate ------ ------- ----- ------ --------- ----- ------ ---------- --------- 1 Mother 6 4 6 4 10 3 Mothers 5 4 15 12 27 2 " 6 3 12 6 18 1 Mother 6 2 6 2 8 6 Mothers 3 4 18 24 42 1 Mother 5 3 5 3 8 4 Mothers 3 3 12 12 24 1 Mother 5 1 5 1 6 1 " 2 4 2 4 6 1 " 4 2 4 2 6 9 Mothers 3 2 27 18 45 5 " 2 3 10 15 25 2 " 4 1 8 2 10 1 Mother 1 4 1 4 5 1 " 5 5 5 3 Mothers 4 12 12 9 " 2 2 18 18 36 4 " 1 3 4 12 16 1 Mother 3 1 3 1 4 4 Mothers 3 12 12 10 " 3 30 30 11 " 1 2 11 22 33 20 " 2 40 40 47 " 1 1 47 47 94 30 " 1 30 30 40 " 1 40 40 1 Mother 2 2 2 ------ ------- ----- ------ --------- ----- ------ ---------- --------- 233 369 265 2 636 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

Commencing with the offspring of single women, it will be seen that one was the mother of ten children, eight boys and two girls. Two women gave birth to six children each. Four gave birth to five children each. Three gave birth to four children each. Sixteen gave birth to three children each. Fifty-four gave birth to two children each. Two hundred and forty-nine gave birth to one child each. Twenty-seven have suffered abortion once, and one has suffered in the same manner four times. The corresponding tables for married women and widows express similar facts in the same form. It is not necessary to quote them, as the figures give all the required information. The results may be recapitulated thus:

Boys. Girls. Abortions. Totals.

357 single women bore 272 187 31 490 357 married " " 459 325 7 791 233 widows bore 369 265 2 636 ---- --- -- ---- 947 1100 777 40 1917

Excess of male over female births, 223.

Ratio of excess upon the total number born, 11-6/10 per cent.

The next point claiming attention is the number of illegitimate children resulting from prost.i.tution, based upon answers to the

_Question._ WERE THESE CHILDREN BORN IN WEDLOCK?

Legitimate children of married women 469 " " " widows 358 Total legitimate 827 Illegitimate children of single women 490 " " " married " 322 " " " widows 279 --- Total illegitimate 1090 ---- Aggregate 1917

The whole of the children borne by single women are, of course, illegitimate. Of the children of married women over forty per cent., and of the children of widows forty-four per cent. are illegitimate. Taking the total number of children of the three cla.s.ses, and calculating upon this broad basis, it will appear that 1090 illegitimate children were born, giving an average of fifty-seven per cent.; or, to speak in plain terms, of every hundred children borne by women who are now prost.i.tutes, forty-three were born before the mothers (married women or widows) had embraced this course of life, and the remaining fifty-seven were the fruit of promiscuous intercourse, liable physically to inherit the diseases of the mother, morally to endure the disgrace attached to their birth, and very probably to be reared in the midst of blasphemy, obscenity, and vice, to follow in the footsteps of their parents, and perpetuate the sin to which they owe their origin.

The excessive mortality among this cla.s.s of children is developed in the following replies to the