The New York herald., 1870-02-07
Debauchery i'm Paris and Euro
pean Cities.
The Evil in This City---Statis-
tics and Facts for the
Legislature.
what Is and What Is Remedial
Measures.
A thousand years.-ten thousand years together
Naked, fasting upon barren mountain,
And sun winter, in ntOrma perpetual.

John A. Kennedy was recently called upon by the re-
porter After turning the heavy door OF room No at
Police Headquarters he stood In the kingy presence,
oppressed by the awful majesty OF the most impe-
rial OF men, The most imperial OF men received the
writer with all the gentle urbanity and polished
politeness becoming true Odd Fellow.
REPoRTr K-l am from the HERALD. and wish TO
procure hat statistics You may have touching the
social evil IN king obesance to his Majesty.
Mr.. KEA NEDYl have nothing 10 give You are
engaged IN work Of damnation. You ought 10
know better. You insult me. (As he spoke he at
tanned such high note that every musician IN ad-
vised TO form his instantaneous acquaintance,
because he has no doubt succeeded In making
valuable acquisition to pitch IN the voice,)
REPORTER (meeky)--Slr-
Mr. KENNEpY--You come here TO insult me--to
insult me /! Damnaton
REPORTER-Sr-
Mr.. KENNEDy-You insult me You insult me
l won't give you any facts. There Make the most
1t.
REPORTER-l hardly see the force OF your observa-
Mr.. KESNEDY-You're a fool; you'n know
when you are OF my age. OF course you can't see
". You insult me.
REPORTER with smile intended to be sweet)-It
Is d,fficuls for me to understand how the moral
forces OF the HERALD turned against SIN, are dam
nation.
Mr.. KENNEDY Qranticallyl--l have SAID you sha mt
have these facts, and you sha'nt! (ornging his fist
down on the tabe.) You insult mel
The reporter then found 1t necessary 10 part com
pany with Mr.. kennedy. Chief Detective Kelso was
then called upon, and gave many valuable sng-
gestlons.
THE SOCIAL EVIL OF TO-DAY.
Since the city first began to crystalline into the
present dense population New York has been
afflicted with the scourge OF prostitution to degree
not exceeded IN any other city IN America. To
such extent has the evil grown that the present
proportions are spreading an alarm through all
classes OF the community, whence comes the cry,
"Can we not stay it9' close and intelligent ex-
animation OF the facts placed peforeErhe readers
OF the HERALD wIli enable them to decide for them
selves upon this point. Surely it is now time Tor
the most powerful agents to be at WORK; II is now
time to concentrate all active energies to extinguish
vice which lis doing more to desecrate peaceful
homes, to dlsorganze society, to multiply disease,
and to lndoctrinate with subtle poisons the high and
the low, the rich and the poor, than any other
species OF dissipation.
II Is the parent Of evil. 1t s not only q social
evil, IL Is sanitary evil financial evil and is
becoming political evil. Let any one reflect upon
It's enormity-that 1t cOmprehends every excess and
panders to every appetite. Let him reflect that
like every vice, it is boundess Unless restrained
unless hemmed In and narrowed down to prescribed
limits, who can tell where the foul waters Will not
now2 VINO is prepared to say that an inquity CON-
pretending all others, the most powerful earth,
attacking the greatest weakness OF men, Will not II
neglected. plunge society into deoauchery that
was respectable when Rome was glorious. and re-
fined when Greece was In The day OF her proud
philosophy? A retrospection must convince any
one that the social evil Ia child OF rapid growth.
1t is n1rtured by low PASSIONS supported by pie
thoric purses having among its patrons politicians,
lawyers. doctors, Judges and even ministers whose
combined influence supports and keeps the institu-
ton alive, for they have made 1t an institution.
At first, as far as there are authentic records the
evil was rife among the low and base-born OF men.
1t nourished there. No laws, no pronunciamentos
OF the Church, no eloquent pleading OF Christianity,
no wisdom from the moralist could in turn check 1t.
The institution matured. AS was lis mission It's
devotees swelled in number, its victims became
more tierce IN their efforts TO obtain higher hold
upon the superior classes until the day OF It's triumph
drew nigh. Thrones groveed il The dust OF prosti-
tution monarchs became customers OF the vice in
trigue was the rule at courts and virtue was re.
garded as a vulgar error. All the niceties of lewd.
ness took their place IN dress and modesty became
common vagrant. Such IS the history OF the social
evil rom the hour when the Jews first aefled the
purity OF the race and each succeeding century has
shown that It's foothold is becoming iirmer and
frmer. AS public morals existed In the nations OF
antiquity steady decline can be noted from the day
when pros Tuition became au established fact Take
Athens. When this fourshing State OF the
remote ages permitted the vile creatures to
solicit men In the public places and placed
the seal OF Official approval upon the most
aggravatlng forms OF debauchev, it was then that
no hmm NV no a rLa anuH
her future useessness. The same is true of Rome
public orgies were admitted, nay, in some cases
compelled by law, and the higher classes became
tainted and speedily gave themselves unrestraned
Righteousness.
At this time the traveller abroad can see the re-
mains OF the frightful excuses TO which the Roman
people carried their vices. At Pompc there have
been excavated the houses wherein syrens carried
on their base business, exhibiting statuary in the
most indecent pOstures. Figures carved in stone
and indicating by the most revolving embems the
nature Of the house are to this day visible among
the ruins OF the buried city, The scenes IN painting
ana relief alone, attestso what deprayity men can
sink.
In glGDcinE at the eyl in the countries existing at
. later day the same truths are apparent. Every
where that ignorance, prejudice ana superstition
had sway there could be found looscness among
TIE female population. In Spain, during the black
and bloody days OF the Roman Church; among the
filthy brothes OF italian States in France, during
barbarties OF the middle ages; IN Portugal, where
women have been universally depraved; In Belgium,
Prussia, Russia Denmark. Switzerland Sweden and
Norway, Great Britain Mexico, Central ana South
America Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and among the
eemi-cvlllzeo nations the evil has existed like
spreading contagion. In the more enlightened and
progress, We OF the countries named II mas appeared
III the lesser degrees. Hence the synonym OF the
social evil is ignorance. But from the time OF the
Jewish harots to tbis hour In the CITY OF New YORK
there has been no modification Of the vice. that
IL has, perhaps intensified and gathered most OF lis
disgusting features from the fatal radcasm OF
modern times. Through oil the 5000 years II Is
proper here to remark there has been no invention
Of man capable Of totally 0otung out prostitution.
1t attempts to legitmatize ana place 1t under poiice
control have been successful In nearly every Euro
pean city. The question is can New YORK profit Dy
transatlantic experenceY Let US see.
THE SOCIAL EVIL IN PARIS.
There are now upwards OF 10 900 common women
IN Paris making ABOUT one to everv 200 oil the popu
kon. or these The city Of Paris furnishes not over
no n