The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-03-23

This is TO avoid danger as far as posi-
; bic, from the exposure which woult
result were all to go, out al, one time
; when they would be more liable to ge
r. on a spree and be guilty of acts which
. would call public attention to. the evi
, OF which they would be the .represen
tatiyes. They studioasly, avoid every
thing which will be calculated to spe
cially arouse public .indignation.hA A
public officer, whose duty it may be- te
punish this class OF afenders, and
whose duty it is. to protect the people
against, their pernicious influences, i
disposed to dc, SO, may pocket liberal
bribes from these degraded persons,
who dread nothing SO much as arrest
and public exposure, This is about
the only redeeming trait in the. char
'aeter Of keeper IF a honse ot prosti-
tuition, =. -, - -
None but those whose duty has led
them to study the evil and seek, tor its
sources, are aware of. the character of
the females who inhabit, these houses
1 of prostitution. They are really little
known and less understood by the
public. It is seemingly true that an
abandoned woman can reach depths
in sloughs Of degradation that cannot
be descended into by tnah, yet there
is no condition In mans life which is
parallel to that Of an abandoned wo-
men in theshopelessness of It's charac-
ter, hence it ID impossible to say what
he 'wuld7be did society thrust him
out as5iti does a worhan. .botiI1o<sb -,
IL Most ofthe inmates of houses Of
prostitution are young s#emcn-s-gifls
whose ages average, by. carefully cem>d
Piled statistics, 20 gears There are
lew, indeed, over the age of twenty
FIVE. This is easily accounted for
The ranks of prostitution are constant
ly replenished and kept: up by the
seduction of young girls those rang
ing from fourteen to eighteen years
of age-and it has been ascertained
that the average life OF abandoned
women is about five years. Some
authors put it at four, and others go
as high as six years, leaving it safe to
assume that the army of prostitutes
melts away and is renewed again as
often as once in every five years. All
may not, and all do not die, but those |
who survive usually abandon that
course of life within that period, so |
that it is safe to state that three hun
dred young women enter upon lives
of public prostitution in this city ev-
cry Ave years, or sixty every year. /
Usually those girls enter upon life
with fair average prospects. Indeed,
they are generally the most attractive
and thus secure attentions which re
suit in their ruin. They are free
affectionate and coniding.--I
Their overthrow, in numerous instan-
stances. has been effected by advant-
age being taken of these elements of
Character. They are remarkably true
to those who have their attachment,
and Instances are common where these |
girls have kept their favorite young
man in idleness and luxury, bestow-
ing upon hia all their ill-getten gains,
There are young men thus supported |
in this city and they actually have
the lmpudence to look decent per-
,on in the face. IF there is a lowest
lepth of degradation, it is certainly
reached by such person, and every.
nan who meets him should givs him
/ kick, if no better mode of punish
nent can be devised. Toledo Com
',erctdI. 49, '-" 4