William Pierce Evans to Jane Addams, December, 1911

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6th & Miami Sts.
Leavenworth, Kan

Dear Miss [Addams]:

While I have the [innocent] admiration and reverence for you and for the other good women who are devoting their lives with yout to the cause of unfortunate womanhood, I wish to register my protest against the use of the term "cadet" to describe the panders of vice and the debauchers of innocent girlhood. Some thirty [page 2] years ago I was a cadet myself and the term was one of honor. I never heard of it being used in the sense that you use it in your latest article in McClures until a few years ago. My son is a cadet today -- a high minded honorable young fellow who is being trained at West Point for his country's service -- and yet you and others [page 3] use the same term to designate him that you use to designate the vilest dregs of society. It is unnecessary and inexcusable. Let us use descriptive terms that describe men not shake the sensibilities of decent people by borrowing this designation to clothe someone in.

Believe me with sincere respect

Very truly yours
W. P. Evans
Colonel W. P. Evans

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