Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-06-20
Strafning at the Gnat and Swallowing
a Camel.

We notice by the New York papers
that the Police Commissioners Of that
city have, during the past week or two
been engaged in crusade against the
news boys who sell the papers about
the streets on the. Sabbath. The
ground upon which the attempt is
made, is that the crying Of the boys is
a nuisance. and disturbs the medita-
tions of the christian portion Of the
community, who wish on that day to
withdraw their attention from the
things of this world and to devote
themselves entirely to the considcra-
ton Of religious subjects. The action
Ct the Board Of Public Commissioners
which includes among its members
such freedom shrieking, lobbying, log
rolling, stockjobbing, wire pulling men
as General Nyc, has created a consid-
cradle sensation in Gotham and meets
with much opposition. The objections
of the prcss to the movement, arc
principly based upon the ground that
the regulation smacks strongly of blue
laws and Purltanism and is considered
an attack upon the religious liberty Of
the peoplc-whatevcr may be the eth
ical merits of the movement, we think
that there are other greater evils which
should first be suppressed by the po-
lice, before they use the arm of the law
to prevent homeless, fricndlcss news
boys, who depend upon their employ
ment for their subsistence, from earn
ing an honest penny, even if in SO do
ing they distract the attention of ultra
pious people, little, from the consider
alton of subjects which all will admit,
arc of great importance. Twenty
thousand prostitutes nightly promen-
ado the streets of the great city OF
New Y ork-thirty thousand more OF
abandoned women remain within the
walls ofthc seething brothels-hundreds
Of pickpockets throng the public places
-garroters hang about the dark alleys
watching for the unwery passenger
who, late at night, wends his way
homeward-robbers, thieves, swindlers,
mock auction dealers, patent safe men,
gamblers, incendiaries, lottery dealers,
shysters, burglars, river thieves and
rowdies live and thrive and fatten on
the proceeds oftheir rascally and infa-
nous proceedings, unmolested and I'M
punished by these ultra moral Police
Commissioners. Within the sacred
precints Of the Fifth Avenue and in
the bank parlors Of the money kings
OF Wall street, railroad, mining and
bank stock swindles, and all manner
of Iascalities, are concocted and carried
on in the broad day light, and under
the very noses of those conservators Of
the morals Of the community-"myster-
ious disappearance" are frequent
bodies are daily found in the rivers
''bearing marks Of violence" and even
now four trials are progressing for the
crime of murder in the halls of justice
of the city, and fue more men whose
hands are stained in human blood now
in the city prison awaiting their trials;
but all of these things are overlooked
murder, robbery and rascality are al.
lowed to run riot, and crusade is or.
ganized against the poor, ragged
homeless, half starved news boys, be.
cause they disturb the pious media.
lions Of the christian community. @
burlesque of morality and religion
Fintput . stop to the great crimes, the
stencil Of which goes up to heaven
alike from the palace and howell Of thu
gfsas city, and thea u tAsy choose Ii