National Republican., 1877-02-25
Our "weak and Vicious" Men,

Some OF the leading women OF this city
have recently suggested that the District pur-
chase the old Jail and renovate and repair It
for the reception Of the "wesk and vicious
men" who'prey upon the female innocents of
the great city. It is q most happy thought.
This vice turks everywhere In the city, and has
grown to such magnitude that these
"weak and vicious men" must be
properly disposed Of. or the terrible
judgment of God, which has been inflicted upon
other cities for this same crime, will fall
heavily here. There are many instances In
history where the determination of Divine
power to punish with terrible judgments the
repeated offences of "weak and vicious men"
have been executed. Ancient Rome, for its
prodigality and sensuousness, now lies
buried beneath the deposits Of centuries.
Spain, once so proud, has been humbled
in the very dust. The wild con.
aagration which destroyed SO large q part
of that beautiful but wicked city Of Paris, may
have been the result of the same determination
OF God to punish the acts of "weak and vi.
cious men," Look about US now whittier we
will and we can see barbarous gloom settling
over many of the nations OF the earth. God
punished this nation terribly once. It
was for our pernicious system of
human slavery. He may speak In
the same wrath again unless we re.
pair that old jail and house, our "weak
and vicious men" therein, to prevent them
from preying, as they have been wont to prey,
uron innocence and honesty. II It had not
been for those "weak and vicious" fellows,
society would have been on o higher plane
to-day, and much Of the misery which we now
see In the flood Of humanity that daily rolls
through our streets, and nightly disappears
to lie horizontal in beds and awake on the
morrow tonew perpendcularity aud movement,
would not have been. We're It not for these
weak and vicious men" we would not see
young women 10 the flush OF youth and health
Haunting their charms before gay admirers,
and making boasts of their success In such
manner rs to make honorable men blush and
modest women turn away with horror. Thou
sands of them are In our midst to-day pushing
female modesty and virtue aside, and, during
their brief day holding almost undisputed
sway, particularly among these "weak
and vicious men" who are principally respon-
sible for the existing condition OF modern so.
ciety. There are sights which would appal
the world could the public eye behold the
misery, the bacchanallan revelries, the wild
dissipation, the wretchedness and woe which
these poor, misguided creatures bring upon
themselves, aided by these "weak and VIC
ious" men. Their youth and beauty Is pre-
maturely lost by riot and dissipation,
and they are abandoned by the "weak
and vicious" creatures for new vic
Tins. They are In houses of abject
misery striving to stimulate, by the use Of
strong drink, the spirit Of joy and gayety long
since lost forever. Some Of them are in gilded
palaces, but the majority are In homes OF
wretchedness, with gaunt cheeks, trembling
nerves and withered limbs, clothed in rags.
and starving morally and physically by de-
grees, till disease or the last suicidal step
takes them out OF the world. All of this
crime is because Of these "weak and vicious"
men. The old jail, repaired, wonld be pro-
per place for them. 1t was a happy thought
on the part Of the ladies. Hereafter the old
jail should be called the "Home Of the weak
and vicious IN en-"