New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-03
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
DEALING WITH VICE.
CAN BRorHELs BE SUPPRESSED

To the E0ltOF OF INC LFFON''O'
SIR: In late issue of your paper under Ine
heading "Deaug with Vice. yOu justly condemn tns
regulation" by law of what by euphemisn IS caii9u
the " social evil" determination, not reguialon' !"
what the highest welfare Of society demahu9' Ho -
pression is quite general, that, while the e' 70 10
doeply lamented it Is beyond the reach OF any Ioeo
which can DO applied by legislation fit be question
of su1pressing all Illicit intercourse between inc seA'
No doubt tbe resources Of legislation are inadequate 10
e task But the public really desire TO suppress lhat
department OF It which is by far the most productive VI
persopa degradation, disease ana cnme-Ihat "hion -
carried on in brothel and initiated in concert saiooh'
and quite sure that the means can DO
had through legislation, whereby suon slh'en'0H W"
be eTectualy accomplished
If the brothe is owned by the occupant let the mousse
he forfeited TO the State and Sold oneaI Oh 'ho no
nroceeds TO he paid to the lnformer II the mousse 10
leased by the occupant let the lease be terminated
Instantly IT, after three days notice. the owner does
not remove the tenant, let fine of 5000 be al once
,svied on the property which, the fine be not imme
aiaov maid by the owner should be sold at public auc
ton onehaf of the net proceeds, whether Oh tne o VI
sale being paid to the informer similar law III reao
TO dancehouses and concert saloons Woulu ehecuas
opulv the ak TO the very root of the evil When com
plant is made under oath that there Is good reason u
boIeve that any house is used las brothe the county
Indigo or I'm the City Of NewYork the City Judge or inc
Recorder should be required, within 4S hours aer ho
complaint is fled to impauel jury which, after nearing
the testimony should determine whether the aleea'oh
ia true or false If the owner in case OF an adverse
decision Of the jury should appeal therefrom ne sno
he reoured TO give bonds with good surees Tor the
novmept OF such costs as may be incurred and II IL Is
finally determined that he had no just cause for MS
appeal he should be compelled to treble costs Inc
business Of public prostitution could not long SURVIVE
such legislation as this, honestly enforced
Bnt believe Mr. Editor that you are perfectly correct
in the suggestion that "were (existng laws Vgor
ouslv administered dens OF illiame might be nearly
driven from our city" Nor is this belief mere impress
sion It rests basis Of proof However the case may
be at present four years there was not so lar as
coud be ascerained by careful investigation single
brothe in the city of Oswego This result due 10 inc
active exertlons Of Recorder Harmon, an upright vigil
LIANT and energetic magistrate whose study how 10 40
it, instead Of not to do it, as too apt to be the case
with officers in his position His success SHOWS tnat
brohes might be rooted out in all our Cities even unuer
| our present laws, IL those who administer them
| vould use their powers with energy and persever-
ance 1t is not pretended that prostitution is not
| practiced in Oswego; for It 10 con-
siderable extent but is not carried on in Drothes winch
is greats gain, since it withdraws powerful temptation
from the paths Of young men, wherein too many Wouu
otherwise be but too ready to CO. That the suppression
OF the social evil is desirable all admit but h0D desir
abe-that IT, to what extent 1t prevaslhow much u
costs and what frghtfu source 1t is OF corruption mis-
cry and erime-few, probably have any adequate con-
cepton In the years 1854 and 1885, the writer IN con-
junction with another gentleman, made Investigation
upon this among other social questions III every county
In the State We instituted inquiries in all quarters
| whence it thought authentic Information might DO
drawn We sought 1t from judges Of criminal courts
from shers and their deputies; from the keepers and
the inmates OF our jais from county clerks; from dis
tlctattOrneys from police justices and police officers
from manufacturers from canal boatmen; from phys
q clans and ministers Of the Gospel word, no
source Of information left untred which held out
promise enabling to take the gauge and measure OF
this alarming evil.
What results were yielded by this investigation The
facts disclosed we're soOwfu and distressing In the ex
treme decided cOnvictlon'was wrought I'm our minds
that with tho exception certainly Of not more than
hafdozen counties the evil was increasing rather than
diminishing 1t greater in 1864 than 1t was in 1882
and st greater in 1865 in 1864 The proofs Of this
statement full and explicit TO permit any doubt
Of its truth And this increase was not confined to the
cities and villages but extended into the most secluded
portions Of our rural districts We sought to ascertain
the number Of prostitutes in the State, but found 1t i'm
possible to make even approximation thereto. The
Commissioners Of Police in the City OF New.York in-
formed us that there were in that city 800 houses OF pros
ttutiOn known TO them and others in all probability not
known. There 112 houses Of assIgnaton, and ~
concert saloons Of dsreputable character The number
Of girls residing the brohes known to the police was
2,l23 The number of women who were in the habit Of
| frequentng designation houses was altogether
unknown. Including these with the public
! prostitutes, tho watergirls at concert sa-
! looms and other classes Of loose women, the
most experienced members Of the police agreed in esti
mating the total number at about 1900 In the City OF
Troy there were 81 brothes which sheltered l9 prost
tues II was believed by the police that these did not
| constitute than onesxth or One-seventh OF the
loose Of that city, among whom were many chill
dren between 10 and Is years Of age This last statement
will seem incredible to many but there be no doubt
Of its truth in reference not only to Troy but all other
large and villages. Our inquiries elsewhere yielded
similar results; but will not pursue the sickening de-
tails
The connection between prostitution and crime is III.
rect close potential More than so per cent OF all the
criminals in the State are by their confession, adj
dcted to habits Of lewdness Tho proportion of criminal
women Of this description is much larger than this.
Nearly quite seyeneghths Of those cOnversed with in
the jails Of the state admitted that they
prostitutes The cost Of this vice. If the indirect be
added to the direct enormous, mounting up
Of millions, but how many we cannot tell Can these
millions be savedf Can this current OF immortality and
crime be stayedl We answer Yes, If the public really
desire IT, Stringent laws for the suppression Of brothes
concert saloons, and dancehouses with summary pro-
ceedings under them will do it; nothing else will
NeW-ForL, July 30, 1862.
CHEATING THE FARMERs-AN OLD TRICK.
! TO the Edttor Of The Tribune,
SIR: confidence man has recently made
the tour Of Washington County, selling the farmers
patent right for improved sickle.bar to a moving
machine" lie calls himself A. A. Hines, and the con-
tract which lie makes with the farmers ia 20 deed TO the
purchaser the town right to sell the sickebar for $500
taking the farmers note for that amount payable TO
der on the same paper with the deed he agrees that
the farmer fails TO sell the sckebars for $780, he "a A.
Hines will repuIchase the at the original price
when the notes become due-that is six months from
date Of contract Hines then sells the notes at 90 per
cent discount 10 some petty lawyer and he, OF course,