The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-03-04
THE SOCIAL EVIL.
The License scheme Denounced.

ON the n. Z. Independent.
Duty is above delicacy, and the
time has come when we must speak
'ainly. In Ohio and in New York
u is now proposed to adopt the
European plan Of licensing and
riacing under medical supervision
honscs Of prostitution. In St Louis
one experiment OF the kind has al
eady failed, and . new one is in
process Of trial. In view Of the
history Of all such systems in the
past, and in view Of certain results
of every such experiment in the
future, silence would be sin. We
Go not apologize, therefore, for the
lrankest treatment Of this question
IN these columns. There 10 no
class OF the community, indeed,
that needs so much to understand
ihese questions 40 American NO.
men. If any true reform shall ey-
er lie wrought. it must be by Chris.
tian women. That word Christian,
in SO far as it suggests Christ, has
much to do with the question. A
Christian woman 10 one who feels
and acts as Christ felt and acted
toward the outcast. The woman
who is too refined to sec the mis-.
cry OF her lost skaters, too modest
10 endure the mention Of them. and
too pure to lend hand may be q
Pharisee, but is certainly not .
Christian.
1t is gravely proposed that, in
nsmuch as this Infamous vice can
not, in the present state of individ-
--ual and social morality, be sup.
pressed by law, it shall be licensed
and regulated by careful police
supervision. In favor Of this prop
osition it is urged that the loath-
some diseases which are spread by
licentious vice are 30 generally dis
seminated that innocent people
suffer, pure women perishing I'M.
timely, innocent children diseased
from their first hours and dying
by degrees on account Of the sin
Of parent, nurses in turn contain
mated by children al the breast,
and spreading the vile plagae in
their owD households. It is urged
that these diseases are among tie
most terrible in their physical and
mental effects, and that to sthe
third and fourth generation the
sins Of the fathers are visited upon
the children. There are men who
have sort of mania on the subject
who see in scrofula, in ricketts,,
in consumption and thousand
ether ills, the remote hereditary
effects OF the diseases that are the
scourge Of beastly vice. We are
even told in the face of statistics
that prove the contrary, that the
race is degeneratiDg, and that the
duration Of life has been shortened
in the. last century or two by the
dissemination Of the effects OF such
diseases. That there is a great
deal of exaggeration in ell these
statements we have no doubt; but
there is also much terrible truth,
and, if we admit them to be wholly
true, they do not in the least lend
10 prove the wisdom ofths propos
ed measure. .....' ~ s-.
All past experience shows tina,
any plan of police regulation is
worse than futile. The French
police has always been q hundred
times more effective than ours. 1,
is alert, omnipresent, vigilant, tire
less, and has been backed by des
potic power. Clearly, then. thu
experiment of police supervision
if it had any elements Of success at
Gil, should have shown them ir
Paris. Let rs see what is the re.
suit. An able writer in the West
minister Review for January, 1870
after history Of the great exer-
tons of the French police, gives .
most carefully prepared digest o
the results, as shown by the officia
statistics, from which it appears
that, after all these efforts ant
struggles, all the vexations o
spirit and misery they involve, al
the privations and sufferings of tn,
refractory in the prison of st. La
zare, = = = the despotic ant
irresponsible French police ca,
not succeed in getting even 8,
many as a sevesth part of the pros
titutes Of Paris under their control
The total number of these, accor d
ing to the estimate Of M. Lecou
(head Of the Bureau de Moeurs. and
therefore, an especially Trustworthy
authority, for he has peculiar ia
cilities for learning the facts), i
not less than 80, 900; and of thes
less than 1000 are registered an
subject to sanitary surveillance
Ifafter more than half centur
Of exertion such be the result i
Paris, with its tireless and despoti
police, and it's support from th
police of the provinces, what coul
, we expect in this country, wher
neither unity nor energy Of actio
is possible to the police forco.
but one-seventh of the abandone
women of Paris are brought und,
supervision by the French polio
it would be surprising, indeed,
j ours were able to accomplish hs
so much. And what amazing sa
itary results will our medical r
formers and philanthropists be alb
to accomplish BY bringing one ,
81 cious woman in fourteen under p
= lice and sanitary surveillance!
AZ We will not shock our reade
ing in any detail the SAINT
FL stics which show how col
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