The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-19
THE SOCIAL EVIL.
AGAINST WHICH THE COMMUNITY
ASKS ron PROTECTION
AND DEFENSE.
lThc Actual Extent Of the EVIL ana the
palIiati0ns and Corrections to
ne Auplied.

rnc Actual Extent Of the EVIL ana the
palIiations and Corrections to
ne Applied.
n has been n source Of universal complaint
for years that many OF the streets contiguous to
the business portions OF the city. and others
which. for their beauty and accessibility, are
desirable for residences. have been rendered
almost uninhabitable for families. who nave
been driven from them to more remote ana less
attractive localities, because of the innumerapie
houses OF prostitution that are permitted TO eS-
lst along these thoroughfares. 1t Ia no exag-
geration to say that
THIS EVIL
tns tettar,v grown to such magnitude that some
of the most attractive Of our streets have been
abandoned IL such establishments, and are al
Ynoat irnpassnbe for ladies even In the daytime,
vhie mon one or two the foot Of virtue scarcely
vantures ever to tread. Several OF these are
among the best lighted and best paved portions
III the city, and along nearly all OF them are
large. comfortable md elegant abodes. which
nnne were the houses Of families, but which are
now the
pEFuaEs or VICE AND SHAME,
either open brothels or n,disons depdsse. Basin.
t,ut Of The tftostt 81 eHF many beautiful
boulevaris 10 entirely abandoned to such estab-
ltshments; and 30 conspicuous and palatial are
these thHt every stranger passing along Canal
street ID necessarily attracted to them and In
iuced to inquire concerning them. Here and
ID ether localities. within a block of Canal
street, after dark
CyPBIAFs PLY THEIR TRADE
III ina most open way and the passer by Ia sig
nailed from windows and doors and even ao-
fsSsstpd on the street while the display OF per.
son and the obscenity oil language are iaVish IN
Now there are left upon some Of these streets
ba few private IN sns
man was compelled 10 abandon an elegant
home which cost him not Less than $4,000, but,
which he informs us he ID Offering to sell Tor
less than half that sum.
This incident p but 2 repetition OF what has
been occurring from time TO time for years. and
Ii Is Of such facts that the history Is made UP OF
the steady
DEPRECIATION or REAL ESTATE
along these streets. till now the property In
highest prices Of any residence sites In the CITY,
4 But these brothels and designation houses
are BY no means confined to these particular
localities They exist, al eyer the city. on
nearly every street It is hardly possible to e.
suit from this contact of society with these
unhappy women. yet oil over the city we see
thase women brought into relations with the
poople about them on terms at least OF obserya-
Hon. Such influences brought to bear on the
young -
The innocent mind gradually accustomed to
regard with ind renee the hbaselnent OF Gin
ceases to abhor 1t. aud the strongest barrier be-
rous nature nature Of vice Is proverbiai and i s al
snost Impossible TO imagine the power attalnet
by children degraded a n a tns al
these LEVIED persons. and the fatal readiness
with which their sinful words and practices arr
propaEated. 1tis the
DUTY OF SOCIETY
10 guard against these insidious eorruption
and to protect the honest and industriou
against their debasing influences. There er'
s ar to
dishonor solely by casual contact with deprave'
women, Tor whom they did sewing. or whom
greater must be. the democrat zation when tn
daily lives Of such Rssog Bs s sae % seaa
th hetr sppen daily Ia this city and merely
matters Of COURSE The Dives of society ha
been often reproached for his ignorance OF Lag
sn Sarss asy ss ssts 4 qaTis
tian society s to And its work and to do It. ~,
rss ns Se ws
statements In 2 generai way. Il IL only to avoie
further offending by the presentation Of nau
seating details. which
ARE. UNFAIRLY, BUT TOO ABUNDANT.
The attention Of the city members of the Legis
iature. especially. is called to the enormity 9
this evil, and the unchecked aud fragrant, \
face, to the serious detriment OF our city as we
tho offenBe of all public decency. Measures fo
s and The mts bn 81
should now receive the serious and thought,
consideration of our citizens. ..,,
The vice is very difficult of treatment. fror
the obvious delicaey Of the subject, Such sui
iects seem by common consent to be 1anishe
rom rational Investigation by the majority {5r
would prove It's non-existence. This
FALSE DELICAcY
Id more Injurious than ia commonly suppose'
Tor the reason that IL places these unfortuna ate
them from the hopeful and helpful infuenc!
ths humanitarian and ph hanthropst s waa
nTnE g sea on The disease and
Arguments are unnecessary to, prove the .,
can possibly ignore It. It Is subject which q
ciety must deal with. and 1T cannot be got rid
Nh hsr5 p sss S s@ Bs b Rsnhs e
cy. This position has been held too long, for
ID false In principle and injurious in tendenc
and the day has come when this great
SOCIAL HORROR
must be treated as other similar evils are.
legislation. This much the public safety al
common decency imperously demand.
y n bs But Il history
THIS VICE CANNOT BE SUPPRESSED.
It also demonstrates that it can be regulat
and directed into channels where Its inJurio
results can be encountered and its dangero
tendencies arrested or materially weakene
This is the policy TO which civilized commur
ties are gradually tending.
In some OF the countries Of Continental
! rope the exam nation necessary to the succe
OF this policy has been made. and the natur
consequences OF searching and philosoph,c
Investigation are there seen In legisl atioo
which aims not to dam a torrent. but to lead
where its rage may be harmlessly spent. Il
utmost that can be hoped for Is to confine pre-
titution within limits. to keep it from
OFFENDING THE PUBLIC
eve. and vet to forbid its exclusion from tt
supervising beneficence OF government al
science This consummation can be achiev
only when the pseudo virtue of the world shs
yield to true benevolence and this evil becoL
recognized as an ineradicabe one that must
treated as all other similar social problems a.