the americanization of edward bok-第47章

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One　day　when　Bok　was　at　luncheon　with　Doctor　Lyman　Abbott；　the　latter　expressed　the　wish　that　Bok　would　take　up　the　subject　of　venereal　disease　as　he　had　the　patent…medicine　question。

〃Not　our　question；〃　answered　Bok。

〃It　is　most　decidedly　your　question；〃　was　the　reply。

Bok　cherished　the　highest　regard　for　Doctor　Abbott's　opinion　and　judgment；　and　this　positive　declaration　amazed　him。

〃Read　up　on　the　subject；〃　counselled　Doctor　Abbott；　〃and　you　will　find　that　the　evil　has　its　direct　roots　in　the　home　with　the　parents。　You　will　agree　with　me　before　you　go　very　far　that　it　is　your　question。〃

Bok　began　to　read　on　the　unsavory　subject。　It　was　exceedingly　unpleasant　reading；　but　for　two　years　Bok　persisted；　only　to　find　that　Doctor　Abbott　was　right。　The　root　of　the　evil　lay　in　the　reticence　of　parents　with　children　as　to　the　mystery　of　life；　boys　and　girls　were　going　out　into　the　world　blind…folded　as　to　any　knowledge　of　their　physical　selves；　〃the　bloom　must　not　be　rubbed　off　the　peach；〃　was　the　belief　of　thousands　of　parents；　and　the　results　were　appalling。　Bok　pursued　his　investigations　from　books　direct　into　the　〃Homes　of　Refuge；〃　〃Doors　of　Hope；〃　and　similar　institutions；　and　unearthed　a　condition；　the　direct　results　of　the　false　modesty　of　parents；　that　was　almost　unbelievable。

Bok　had　now　all　his　facts；　but　realized　that　for　his　magazine；　of　all　magazines；　to　take　up　this　subject　would　be　like　a　bolt　from　the　blue　in　tens　of　thousands　of　homes。　But　this　very　fact；　the　unquestioned　position　of　the　magazine；　the　remarkable　respect　which　its　readers　had　for　it；　and　the　confidence　with　which　parents　placed　the　periodical　on　their　home　tablesall　this　was；　after　all；　Bok　thought；　the　more　reason　why　he　should　take　up　the　matter　and　thresh　it　out。　He　consulted　with　friends；　who　advised　against　it；　his　editors　were　all　opposed　to　the　introduction　of　the　unsavory　subject　into　the　magazine。

〃But　it　isn't　unsavory；〃　argued　Bok。　〃That　is　just　it。　We　have　made　it　so　by　making　it　mysterious；　by　surrounding　it　with　silence；　by　making　it　a　forbidden　topic。　It　is　the　most　beautiful　story　in　life。〃

Mr。　Curtis；　alone；　encouraged　his　editor。　Was　he　sure　he　was　right？　If　he　was；　why　not　go　ahead？　Bok　called　his　attention　to　the　fact　that　a　heavy　loss　in　circulation　was　a　foregone　conclusion；　he　could　calculate　upon　one　hundred　thousand　subscribers；　at　least；　stopping　the　magazine。　〃It　is　a　question　of　right；〃　answered　the　publisher；　〃not　of　circulation。〃

And　so；　in　1906；　with　the　subject　absolutely　prohibited　in　every　periodical　and　newspaper　of　standing；　never　discussed　at　a　public　gathering　save　at　medical　meetings；　Bok　published　his　first　editorial。

The　readers　of　his　magazine　fairly　gasped；　they　were　dumb　with　astonishment！　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　of　all　magazines；　to　discuss　such　a　subject！　When　they　had　recovered　from　their　astonishment；　the　parents　began　to　write　letters；　and　one　morning　Bok　was　confronted　with　a　large　waste…basket　full　brought　in　by　his　two　office　boys。

〃Protests；〃　laconically　explained　one　of　his　editors。　〃More　than　that；　the　majority　threaten　to　stop　their　subscription　unless　you　stop。〃

〃All　right；　that　proves　I　am　right；〃　answered　Bok。　〃Write　to　each　one　and　say　that　what　I　have　written　is　nothing　as　compared　in　frankness　to　what　is　coming；　and　that　we　shall　be　glad　to　refund　the　unfulfilled　part　of　their　subscriptions。〃

Day　after　day；　thousands　of　letters　came　in。　The　next　issue　contained　another　editorial；　stronger　than　the　first。　Bok　explained　that　he　would　not　tell　the　actual　story　of　the　beginning　of　life　in　the　magazinethat　was　the　prerogative　of　the　parents；　and　he　had　no　notion　of　taking　it　away　from　either；　but　that　he　meant　to　insist　upon　putting　their　duty　squarely　up　to　them；　that　he　realized　it　was　a　long　fight；　hence　the　articles　to　come　would　be　many　and　continued；　and　that　those　of　his　readers　who　did　not　believe　in　his　policy　had　better　stop　the　magazine　at　once。　But　he　reminded　them　that　no　solution　of　any　question　was　ever　reached　by　running　away　from　it。　This　question　had　to　be　faced　some　time；　and　now　was　as　good　a　time　as　any。

Thousands　of　subscriptions　were　stopped；　advertisements　gave　notice　that　they　would　cancel　their　accounts；　the　greatest　pressure　was　placed　upon　Mr。　Curtis　to　order　his　editor　to　cease；　and　Bok　had　the　grim　experience　of　seeing　his　magazine；　hitherto　proclaimed　all　over　the　land　as　a　model　advocate　of　the　virtues；　refused　admittance　into　thousands　of　homes；　and　saw　his　own　friends　tear　the　offending　pages　out　of　the　periodical　before　it　was　allowed　to　find　a　place　on　their　home…tables。

But　The　Journal　kept　steadily　on。　Number　after　number　contained　some　article　on　the　subject；　and　finally　such　men　and　women　as　Jane　Addams；　Cardinal　Gibbons；　Margaret　Deland；　Henry　van　Dyke；　President　Eliot；　the　Bishop　of　London；　braved　the　public　storm；　came　to　Bok's　aid；　and　wrote　articles　for　his　magazine　heartily　backing　up　his　lonely　fight。

The　public；　seeing　this　array　of　distinguished　opinion　expressing　itself；　began　to　wonder　〃whether　there　might　not　be　something　in　what　Bok　was　saying；　after　all。〃　At　the　end　of　eighteen　months；　inquiries　began　to　take　the　place　of　protests；　and　Bok　knew　then　that　the　fight　was　won。　He　employed　two　experts；　one　man　and　one　woman；　to　answer　the　inquiries；　and　he　had　published　a　series　of　little　books；　each　written　by　a　different　author　on　a　different　aspect　of　the　question。

This　series　was　known　as　The　Edward　Bok　Books。　They　sold　for　twenty…five　cents　each；　without　profit　to　either　editor　or　publisher。　The　series　sold　into　the　tens　of　thousands。　Information　was；　therefore；　to　be　had；　in　authoritative　form；　enabling　every　parent　to　tell　the　story　to　his　or　her　child。　Bok　now　insisted　that　every　parent　should　do　this；　and　announced　that　he　intended　to　keep　at　the　subject　until　the　parents　did。　He　explained　that　the　magazine　had　lost　about　seventy…five　thousand　subscribers；　and　that　it　might　just　as　well　lose　some　more；　but　that　the　insistence　should　go　on。

Slowly　but　surely　the　subject　became　a　debatable　one。　Where；　when　Bok　began；　the　leading　prophylactic　society　in　New　York　could　not　secure　five　speaking　dates　for　its　single　lecturer　during　a　session；　it　was　now　put　to　it　to　find　open　dates　for　over　ten　speakers。　Mothers'　clubs；　women's　clubs；　and　organizations　of　all　kinds　clamored　for　authoritative　talks；　here　and　there　a　much…veiled　article　apologetically　crept　into　print；　and　occasionally　a　progressive　school　board　or　educational　institution　experimented　with　a　talk　or　two。

The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　published　a　full…page　editorial　declaring　that　seventy　of　every　one　hundred　special　surgical　operations　on　women　were　directly　or　indirectly　the　result　of　one　cause；　that　sixty　of　every　one　hundred　new…born　blinded　babies　were　blinded　soon　after　birth　from　this　same　cause；　and　that　every　man　knew　what　this　cause　was！

Letters　from　men　now　began　to　pour　in　by　the　hundreds。　With　an　oath　on　nearly　every　line；　they　told　him　that　their　wives；　daughters；　sisters；　or　mothers　had　demanded　to　know　this　cause；　and　that　they　had　to　tell　them。　Bok　answered　these　heated　men　and　told　them　that　was　exactly　why　the　Journal　had　published　the　editorial；　and　that　in　the　next　issue　there　would　be　another　for　those　women　who　might　have　missed　his　first。　He　insisted　that　the　time　had　come　when　women　should　learn　the　truth；　and　that；　so　far　as　it　lay　in　his　power；　he　intended　to　see　that　they　did　know。

The　tide　of　public　opinion　at　last　turned　toward　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　and　its　campaign。　Women　began　to　realize　that　it　had　a　case；　that　it　was　working　for　their　best　interests　and　for　those　of　their　children；　and　they　decided　that　the　question　might　as　well　be　faced。　Bok　now　felt　that　his　part　in　the　work　was　done。　He　had　started　something　well　on　its　way；　the　common　sense　of　the　public　must　do　the　rest。　He　had　taken　the　question　of　natural　life；　and　stripped　it　of　its　false　mystery　in　the　minds　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of　young　people；　had　started　their　inquiring　minds；　had　shown　parents　the　way；　had　made　a　forbidden　topic　a　debatable　subject；　discussed　in　open　gatherings；　by　the　press；　an　increasing　number　of　books；　and　in　schools　and　colleges。　He　dropped　the　subject；　only　to　take　up　one　that　was　more　or　less　akin　to　it。

That　was　the　public　drinking…cup。　Here　was　a　distinct　menace　that　actual　examples　and　figures　showed　was　spreading　the　most　loathsome　diseases　among　innocent　children。　In　1908；　he　opened　up　the　subject　by　ruthlessly　publishing　photographs　that　were　unpleasantly　but　tremendously　convincing。　He　had　now　secured　the　confidence　of　his　vast　public；　who　listened　attentively　to　him　when　he　spoke　on　an　unpleasant　topic；　and　having　learned　from　experience　that　he　would　simply　keep　on　until　he　got　results；　his　readers　decided　that　this　time　they　would　act　quickly。　So　quick　a　result　was　hardly　ever　achieved　in　any　campaign。　Within　six　months　legislation　all　over　the　country　was　introduced　or　enacted　prohibiting　the　common　drinking…cup　in　any　public　gathering…place；　park；　store；　or　theatre；　and　substituting　the　individual　paper　cup。　Almost　over　night；　the　germ…laden　common　drinking…cup；　which　had　so　widely　spread　disease；　disappeared；　and　in　a　number　of　States；　the　common　towel；　upon　Bok's　insistence；　met　the　same　fate。　Within　a　year；　one　of　the　worst　menaces　to　American　life　had　been　wiped　out　by　public　sentiment。

Bok　was　now　done　with　health　measures　for　a　while；　and　determined　to　see　what　he　could　do　with　two　or　three　civic　questions　that　he　felt　needed　attention。



XXXI。　Adventures　in　Civics

The　electric　power　companies　at　Niagara　Falls　were　beginning　to　draw　so　much　water　from　above　the　great　Horseshoe　Falls　as　to　bring　into　speculation　the　question　of　how　soon　America's　greatest　scenic　asset　would　be　a　coal…pile　with　a　thin　trickle　of　water　crawling　down　its　vast　cliffs。　Already　companies　had　been　given　legal　permission　to　utilize　one…quarter　of　the　whole　flow；　and　additional　companies　were　asking　for　further　grants。　Permission　for　forty　per　cent　of　the　whole　volume　of　water　had　been　granted。　J。　Horace　McFarland；　as　President　of　the　American　Civic　Association；　called　Bok's　attention　to　the　matter；　and　urged　him　to　agitate　it　through　his　magazine　so　that　restrictive　legislation　might　be　secured。

Bok　went　to　Washington；　conferred　with　President　Roosevelt；　and　found　him　cognizant　of　the　matter　in　all　its　aspects。

〃I　can　do　nothing；〃　said　the　President；　〃unless　there　is　an　awakened　public　sentiment　that　compels　action。　Give　me　that；　and　I'll　either　put　the　subject　in　my　next　message　to　Congress　or　send　a　special　message。　I'm　from　Missouri　on　this　point；〃　continued　the　President。　〃Show　me　that　the　American　people　want　their　Falls　preserved；　and　I'll　do　the　rest。　But　I've　got　to　be　shown。〃　Bok　assured　the　President　he　could　demonstrate　this　to　him。

The　next　number　of　his　magazine　presented　a　graphic　picture　of　the　Horseshoe　Falls　as　they　were　and　the　same　Falls　as　they　would　be　if　more　water　was　allowed　to　be　taken　for　power：　a　barren　coal…pile　with　a　tiny　rivulet　of　water　trickling　down　its　sides。　The　editorial　asked　whether　the　American　women　were　going　to　allow　this？　If　not；　each；　if　an　American；　s