An Extension of Our Work.
O. Edward Janney
For thirty years the American Purity Alliance, formed in 1876 by Aaron M. Powell and his co-laborers, had endeavored to advance moral education and raise moral standards in America, when, in the autumn of 1906 is was joined in its work by the National Vigilance Committee which had just been organized, and the two associations have since then cooperated with excellent results.
As the conditions of social vice have been made more clear to us, the need of a still more effective organization has become evident if we are to cope with the evils of the white-slave traffic throughout the nation on one hand, and to push the efforts to educate the young in matters of sex that are acknowledged to be necessary, on the other.
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Several conferences have been held, with the object in view of forming one large organization, representative of all sections of the country, and in these conferences men and women were able to speak with adequate knowledge of the conditions east and west, north and south.
After a careful study of the ground it has been decided by those who represent the American Purity Alliance and the National Vigilance Committee to merge these two associations into a new one, called the American Vigilance Association.
The merger has approved the following resolution:
The new Association will have for its President, Dr. David Starr Jordan, of Leland Stanford University, and among its Vice-Presidents will be ex-President Eliot and Cardinal Gibbons. The affairs of the Association will be managed by an Executive Board of fifteen persons. Clifford G. Roe of Chicago, will be Executive Secretary and Organizer.
The purpose of the new organization is stated in the Constitution as follows:
ARTICLE II
The purpose of this Association shall be to suppress and prevent commercialized vice, and to promote the highest standard of public and private morals. To accomplish this purpose, the Association shall strive for the constant, persistent and absolute repression of prostitution, for the passage and enforcement of laws to this end, for the rescue and protection of girls and women, for the promotion of knowledge of the social evil, its effects and results, and for the circulation of the best literature regarding it.
The work of the Association will be carried on by the following Departments, each one under a responsible chief who has had experience in the work of his Department.
Department of International Relations (Immigration).
Department of Legislation and Law Enforcement.
Department of Organization and Extension.
Department of Education.
Department of Literature.
Library and Editorial Department (Vigilance Journal)
Finance Department.
A study of this plan of organization will show that the work of the two original associations will be continued in the life of the new one, and it is greatly desired that the friends of the older associations may continue their present loyal support, so that the new movement will lose nothing in the change. It is confidently believed that much better results will come from the union of the two associations than would be possible from working separately, and we trust that not only will we be able to hold the allegiance of all our old friends, but that we may gain many new ones. It is also our hope the associations with aims similar to ours will find it to their interest to join us, or at least, give us their hearty co-operation.
O. Edward Janney.
