The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-12-26

IHE SOCIAL EyIL.-lt Is understood that
one Of the newly elected members of the
N. Y. Assembly has drafted bill calcu-
lated to prevent, in great measure, the
evils of prostitution, owing to the numer-
GUS houses Of ill-fame in this city. The
bill proposes to license each of these pla-
ces, the same as in Paris, thus making
them conform more strictly to the law.
We clip the above from late telegraph
ic column Of one of the Chicago Dailies.
From the time of Moses the subject refer
red to here has been one of prominent in
tercst in social, legal and ecclesiastical po,-
ity. The difficulty in its discussion is in
its presumed indelicacy. And yet, coarse
as such discussion may be regarded, what
on earth carries with it more intensity of
interest? Mothers, neutrality-suspicious. too
gently their daughters of danger ::
fathers hint to sons that ruin lies in the
path of "her that sits by the wayside cry
ing Give, Give!" Domestic life is con-
vulsed when accidents are developed; the
Scriptures are filed almost to indecency in
some places with sexual imprudencies and
warnings against this "besetting sin i"
the church of the present day is distin-
guished for trials" relating to concu-
piscencc; the courts are occupied with ca
ses of elopement, Grim. con-, divorce, and
every imaginable form of action of which
this all-pervading lice ntiousness is the
basis. Legislative bodies have taxed their
skill to suppress these evils by severe pc
nal enactments, and yet, in high as well as
in low life, the march of the destroyer is
onward. 1t is an admitted fact that never
in the history of our country has there
been such bold, unblushing courtezanism
as now. The present decentralization may
be charged to great extent to the war
the absence of husbands-the recklessness
of military life-the general want of re-
straint-the privations at home which
made life itself more or less dependent on
a sacrifice of virtue-the ease with which
divorces arc granted and the existence in
this "model Republic of ours, of a Ter
ritory deroted to the purpose Of lerdness,
covered by the coarsest as we'll as the thin
nest veil Of Religio-fanaticism which beast
illness ever invented.
We know the subject is delicate one
and fastidiousness may fault us for referr-
ing to it but look at the newspapers of
the day and see the remedies for Grim
inal blunders of the passional sort and you
will not judge the subject to be a nec one.
Some Of our exchanges insert advertise
ments that are absolutely loathsome in
their references to this all,powcrful weak
ness; ours is not blameless entirely, but it
is not so indiscreet in taking advertise
ments as some others and as soon as pres
ent contracts have expired, you will see no
more "ways and means to heal, prevent
or cover up the consequences of"Impru-
dence," as the fancy advertisers politely
call the social evil. In view of the fact
that the efforts Of society in all their vari-
GUS forms Of influence arc now and ever
have been unable to obliterate this damn
ing sin, we are not sure but the effort of
the member from New York-particularly
as applicable to that city and other large
seaport towns-to regulate, restrain or
confine it where it can be supervised by
the authorities and kept within channels
where less injury will be inflicted, may
not have some merit in it. We are told
that the city Of Louisville for 90 years has
pursued the Partisan plan.