Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-07-25

Work House, On House OF CORRECTIoN.-
Mr.. EDITOR: Being a subscriber to the Daily
Leader, and having been resident of your
city for some time, and feeling interested in
the physical, moral and spiritual welfare of
its inhabitants, and since there have recently
been suggestions made by various parties as
to the best manner of promoting the health
of the city and increasing its attractions, i'm
provements which embrace sewerage, open
ing of Superior street, &C., also would take
the liberty to offer proposition for an i'm
provement that, not only in our opinion,
but in that of many other citizens, is much
more needed at the present time than any
that we have yet noticed in public print. It
is a Work-House, or House of Correction for
the reformation Of abandoned women and
keepers of brothels many Of which are os-
tensibly kept as saloons.
We have recently, in imitation of some
other cities, adopted the chain-gang as n
mode of correction for certain evils, and
every observer knows that it has thus far
worked like a charm, having diminished
crime very materially. But there is no efli-
cient course adopted by our City Council for
the suppression of crimes and nuisanees
originating among the class Of females re-
ferred to, a fact which is very much lament
ed by all good citizens. 1t is well known
that this unfortunate class Of individuals
became at one time so great nuisance to
the citizens of Buffalo and other cities, that
I haaorroa obzn1ufalTv IN o1opf a
more rigorous course in order to protect
peaceful and Order-loving citizens in the en-
iOyment of the common privileges afforded
/ them by law; and now the enforcement of
these more stringent measures Of our neigh
bors has had the effect to cause a regular
exodus of that class to other localities where
the laws were less stringent, and where they
could carry on their traffic on a more extend
ed scale, and hence our beautiful c ty may
J now be said to be Overrun with bad charac
ters TO the great annoyance of our citizens,
/ and also to the manifest injury of many
property holders whose tenements stand
| empty because no respectable family Will
willingly occupy them on account of their
! close proximity to well known disreputable
| houses. And they evidently find it pretty
smooth sailing here, for the fact that some Of
! them are occasionally arrested and made to
pay the paltry sum of five or ten dollars,
/ and then suffered to 60 and pursue their
usual avocation, is proving itself to be Just
| the next thing to no restraint at ALL Our
! laws evidently have no terrors whatever for
/ this class of persons, and hence decent peO-
! pie and their families are annoyed both day
and night. Indeed their boldness is beeom-
/ ing proverbial, and in many localities intol-
cradle. Now we ask, is this state Of things
to continue? Shall there be no effort made
by the proper authorities to purify Cleveland
Of some of its moral filth, or shall the citi-
zens be driven to the desperate necessity Of
taking the law into our own hands that JUS
tice may be administered to those who act
utterly regardless of the peace and comfort
of their fellow beings. An extensive system
of sewerage or draining, and which will cost
an immense amount of money, is a work
recently recommended by some Of our citi-
zens for the purpose Of carrying of the ply
steal filth of our city. Now we would be
willing to dispense with said sewer for some
time yet, and would suggest instead thereof
that something be done, some system Of
moral sewerage be entered upon for the re-
moval of the moral filth Of which is fast
becoming so rank and offensive in many
parts of the city as to be utterly disgusting,
and grevious to many who are in a manner
compelled to endure it. A. C.
Cleveland, July "a.