Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1866-03-28
TIE AMERICAN SGDOM.
New York from n Moral Standpoint.

fH. Y. Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.l
To begin with, there are our fifteen
theatres, whose receipts for six months,
ending December, 81, were S665 ,55l, or
at the rate Of over Il million and :. quarter
dollars q year The las; Was one of un-
exampled prosperity, the receipts being
ah0,t t twenty five per cent. greater than
1864 The full pntfer of their agency for
evil, and its pc, uniary expense, would b.
rendered more appreciable if We could
get at the figures which represent the
number of persons connected with the
theatres the cost of maintaining them;
the rental and value Of the huildinLS they
occupy; the business done by The neigh.
boring bar>rooms, and the number of
prostitutes by whom thew are annted
Mkt come the gdmbi:ag heIis The
numerous places assigned to this particu-
iar vice are not alone Il arge number of
hnr-roous and porter -houses furnish the
most ample fi.ciliriss to a young man with
Il salary of 81 ,0GU and upward for losing
his earnings at cards or dice Cons der
able sums are frequently lost by them at
billiard tables OF the fashionable and re-
spectabI~ saloons Lottery tickets and
policies. in which surprising investments
are made, are readily ohtaiHabIe in almost
evefv street Then we have porter houses
and lar-rocms. which. in 1863. TO the
number Of 1856; paid license fees to ;he
National Government amounting to s 50.
120 In the Report of the Commissioner
of Internal Revenue of 1864 the con-
sumption of spirits in this city alone Is
estimated at 600 barrels n day. SUNDAYS
excepted We should have a startling ag-
gregate Of this intemrerance. it we would
state the number of persons engaged in
Iquor selling, the expense of fitting up
their gin palaces, and the rents paid to
landlords for them
But, perhaps, the crowninr source of
~in, la E, city Iil.e tis j. the tr:, ffic of oh
scene books. prints and papers. which is ~
much more extensive trade than most peo-
pie imagine possible. These incentives to
vice are to hc obtained at the very many
newspaper stands, and ut some renutah'e
book stores As illustrating the audacitv
with which this temptation IL luunted in
the faces Of our citizens. it may lie stated
that at one place on i principal thorough
fare. there are openly exposed Tor sale two
vile weekly newspapers, which can lie
purchased ut ten cents copy. and more
than fifty kinds of licentiOus books. each
on" Illustrated hv one or two cuts, at n
price ranging fror1 thirtv-f to sixty
cents, while on each copy there il Il catl~
logue OF more than one hundred of the
same character. If the purchaser mani
fest q deep interest in the books exposed
COR sale, tn. proprietor viii show him
cIta!n-ue of a large number, mGch more
vulgar and ut-rrinuS illustrated with the
most obs enc cuts. from which selecticnS
can hN mrde. at prices ranging from one
70 six dollars The dahaSinr influence Of
these puhlicatiOns cannot be over eS'i-
mated thov are simp'v feeders of broth
o's and must iupvitahlv ruin thousands
Of Young Elsu and young women every
wear
On the subject of Concert or "Pratt~
Waiter Gir.' Sainons the Police Commits
~i"ner~ Report for 1865 SAYS there are
22.3 or nearly IS manv aS there are o'
Protestant rl,rns Of worship In thcm
pretty waiter .i~ls lall prostitutes orc en-
nlovcd r. tho number of lgl-rrcre Than
twice As many prjeSfssseS of >ja IA minis
tors Of all f,ifhs ard crerds in the CITY
The daily visitors to these places (moSt o.
them vounr men) number 2aq70. MAXIM
a yearly aggregate of 1928 80 Th"
weekly receipts as ACKNOWLEDGED nv the
keonnrS Of these places, are S3i .bb2-nr
= G4O 22t rer annum Those who know.
firm tnat actua ". the receipts arc dou
he the sums named. OnP Of these
saloons has an average Of i,400 visitors
daily In another. the receipts for three
euccessivn SUNDAYS lasi Nav averaged
81 600 This last saloon has the aistipc .
tjon Of owning m or.an imported from
Eurnr5 ata c0stof s. 900 The Louvre =
on Tpner Broadway which is the king njn
amunw these S0lOOns paws n rent Of s. 900
and < adorned with freS"cnS which cost
not far from 10000. The ~o'icn returns
ronort 73l houses of prostitution and
3.4l- pro~titiiteS-cGnccssei -rch As
u0n~ hut the lowest order Of hou~zs and
inmates acknOwlaige % sunh 70 he heir husi-
ness. Il i safe 70 multiply these f-urcs hv
six if we want 70 get 1T the facts in tho
case Upon this hr inch of social evil
there is..little need to multiply words; hu'
( if the financial side of the question were
fairly stated, it would he necessary to
count w is cost hv millions As TO It's
moral effects. no one requires an added
word hv the wav o. proof
/ To conntaract and match all these Sa-
. tanic ngs ncirs we ha' 35l churches. n
which % are protestant; all acnofnrno,
dating 300 600 persons. and ha inr nar-
haps, an average attendance oF 200 00(
persons But their exclu~iyeness. the eos
of sittinUS, the unrorularitv Of the mis-
sion efforts and the unattractive charaete
OF many 0f the churches prevent thai
m1kin- anv very striking in-oads up0n tn
ARMY 6f rice to which reference has beer
made