The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-07-29
"reminiscences and DFunkenneM In Msek.
holm, NXedsn.

B&yard Taylor writes from Stockholm n
long letter. We quote the conclusion
After speaking Of the manners of Stock
holm, must not close this letter without
saying few words about its morals II
has been called the most licentious city in
Europe. and. have no doubt, with the most
perfect Justice. Vienna may surpass il in
the amount Of conjugal infidclity, but GER
tainly not in general incontinencc. Very
nearly half the registered births are illegit-
innate, to say nothing of the illegitimate
children born ia wcdlock. Of the servant
girls, shop girls and scamstrcsses in the city,
u Is very safe TO say that scarcely one out
u q hundred il chastc, while, n raksh
young Swedes have coolsy informed me.
large proportion II girls Of respectable pa
rentage, belonging Ia the middle class, are
not much better. The men, Of course, are
much worse than the women, and even in
Paris one secs fewer signs OF physical de-
bauchery. Here, the number Of broken
down young men and blear-cyed, hoary sin
ners, 10 astonishing have never been in
any place where RIGHTEOUSNESS was 20 open
and avowed-and yet, where the slang Of
sham morality was - prevalent. There are
Ia
the city would be scandalixed ct the idea or
allowing such thing. A few years ago two
were established, and the fact was no sooner
known than virtuous mob arose and vio-
lcntly pulled them down
Al tho restaurants, young blades order
their dinners Of the female walters, with an
arm around their waists, while the old men
place their hands unblusLingly upon thcir
bosons. All the baths in Stockholm are at
tended by women GENERALLY middle aged
and hidcous, must confess who perform
the usual scrubbing and shampooning with
the greatest nonchalcnce Tine docs not
wonder when he is told VI young men who
have passed safely through the ordeals OF
Berlin and Paris, and have come 1t last 10
Stockholm 10 be ruined.
This, the most vital Of all the social prob
lens, Is strangely neglected. The diseases
and excuses which il engcnders are far
more devasting than those which spring
from any other vice, and yet no philanthro-
pist Is bold enough to look the question in
the face. The vicious don't care about il.
the godly simply condemn, and the unRodly
indulge-and 50 the world goes on, and hun.
drcds Of thousands 20 down annually 10 ut.
ter ruin. Which Is bcst--a city like Stock.
holm, where prostitution is prohibited, or
New York, where 1t 10 tacitly allowed, or
Hamburg, where it u lsgalized7 Let some
one with more time and more ethical ability
answer. Ny business here l. simply to
make statements.
II Is but fair 20 say that the Swedes &C
count for the large proportion Of illcgiti-
mate births by stating that many unfortu-
nate females come up from the country 70
hide their shame in the capital, which Is no
doubt true. Everything that have said
hos been derived from residents Of Stock.
holm, who, proud - they are and sentative,
cannot conceal this glaring dcpravity. The
population Of Stockholm, as Is proved by
Statistics, has only been increased during
the last tlfty years by immigration from the
country, the number OF deaths among the
inhabitants exceeding the births BY several
hundreds every year. was once speaking
with Swede about these facts, which be
seemed inclined to doubt. But" said |,
@they are derived from your own statistics
/. Vel" he answered, with naive attempt
70 ind some compromising good, ssyou must
q least admit that the Swedish statistics
are = exact q any in the world"
Drunkenness 10 . leading vice amone the
swedes, = we have daily evidence hsre. Six
ysan go the eoosumption Of br.ndy
ehsssghoat thc KINGDOM, vs. .iss eallons
~ cvssy .an, wu0an and child, annually
oos e - ee9soesd epssislsnbly since then,
nslniy tns2roe - manu6hctnrs Of beer and
pel: ~e6 - (nAvari1n bssr) y
sow 70 p - sv9Zwhiss, 81 = npidny
EwnA~m go - ~ I1.~@.--4.1--