The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-09-11
The " Social Evil"

There seems to be j general movement
against the so-stylcd "social evil - ana i'S
c,ncomitants. The moraliSts are all trying
= hand at the subject. and judges ana po-
lic.mep are making extraordinary efforts 10
expose and punish crimlnaiity conhecteo
with it.
The movements and deyelopmentsln New
York have excited the municipal autnofi'
ties of many cities to extra diligence 10 set
at offenders who have been long supposed
to be engaged at thcir crimes.
Even the virluous city OF washington Is
awakened, and at Il council OF judges anu
heads of police, it was determined TO break
no houses of ill-famc. In prosecution OF
mis- resolution it was resolved to issue no.
ticcs to all such to "cease their business,
under penalty of arrest and prosecution.
Stories have been rife of large prohS'
made in Washington by the police by
backmailing citizens, and there Is good
reason to believe that the stories are at least
in part true. Washington is capital held
for such operations, and if the police are
not sufficiently experienced to know now
to work them to advantage it must be owing
to their stupidity.
The crime of procuring abortion IS
most abhorrent and heinous one, and II
ought to be risidly punished. But it grows
out of another that is peculiar to no age or
country, The conservators OF public morals
and hubble decency have been through all
time perplexed about the question OF "nat
j, hest TO be done with these transgreSslohs'
and we do not see that the age has improved
much upon the past in its la"saha lts ponce
applicable to the subject.
Can these traDssrcssions be ended by any
measure of Government or any eXpcdicht
of police? IT anybody can Invent the >ys
TEN iry which this may be done lie VIII DC
wiser than any one who has gone before
him. If no such wise man may be found,
rnrn what is the best policy to be pursued
90 IN tiyale rs mutu Il, possible the dread
c,.,s.u,lcnces OF the sin. herein lies WIS
com. IS hen the country learns how to 90
tn,t 1t will probably put an end TO Inc
trade of the abortionist, and will be able 10
restrain greatly the evils Of illicit habits.
1t is not new thing to put IN force ac-
tive measures to suppress the class OF
crimes in question. There Is periodical
tla.e up of the zeal Of municipal o1nclas.
The spasm soon eXhausts itself, and things
20 along In the old channel, as they nave
done probably through all human eAis-
tcnce-sometimes worse, sometimes better.
But even in the spasmodic Efforts TO
bring Offenders to justice, have we not seen
the storm burst mainly upon the heads OF
Door female outcasts, the victims OF studied
arts and wiles, whose successful employ
meut left the victims no hope and no re-
luse? Upon these poor wrctchcs the hand
of Justice violently seizes, while wee in
glossy robes, screened by the costly pal
uces purchased with the gains Of sin, is left
uudsturbed or purchases immunity by
brides.
This is the brief history OF the achieve
ments Of the watchtul guardians OF puoilc
order and security. After a little tine all
is forgotten. ~e-.
The subject is one Of deep interest, in
deed; but we do not believe any improve
ment will ever take place in our mode OF
treating it until We have reformed it alto
getler.