cruelty
inflicted on the victims of its unholy greed.

This traffic in the virtue of woman is now well known. Its methods are
the same, but its results, with a growing civilization are more painful
and destructive to its victims. It has no geographical boundaries, but
in every clime, this hideous monster of vice seeks its victims, with a
relentless and inhuman ferocity. As one surveys the results of this evil
in every land, one is led to cry "How long, O Lord, how long, before
men's inhumanity to women shall cease, and the kingdoms of this world
become the Kingdom of our Father?"

Permit me, as a matter of historical interest, to call your attention to
the simple origin of this new crusade for the suppression of the White
Slave Traffic, which had its birth, under circumstances of great
interest to all workers, in the year 1898. As the Secretary of the
National Vigilance Association it had for years been my duty to search
for missing young women, sometimes at home and sometimes abroad. In my
journeys abroad, prior to 1898, I had in some instances found the
missing girl, under circumstances of a most painful character. It was
the old story--the promise of a good situation, or the promise of a
suitable marriage, were the means invariably used to entrap and ensnare
them. Once in the hands of the traffickers, they were hurried away, from
country to country, until the highest bidders obtained the virtue,
honour, and the life of the victims of these inhuman traffickers. In my
various journeyings these ghastly facts were over and over again brought
to my knowledge. Their truth I was unfortunately frequently able to
verify, so that from personal observation and knowledge I knew this
state of things to exist, yea, to be ever on the increase. I knew that
just as the honest merchant deals with his merchandise in the course of
trade, sending certain goods to certain markets of the world, so this
hideous trade was under the control of a syndicate of men and women, who
bought and sold the virtue of women, in the same manner as the merchant
sells his wares--to the highest bidder.

Here was indeed a revelation, so far as I personally was concerned. For
a long time I had known of the existence of this traffic, but I had no
idea of its widespread character. I had not dreamt of the scientific and
businesslike manner in which it was conducted. Here, indeed, was the
explanation of the disappearance of hundreds, yea, thousands, of girls
s