The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-02-06
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DECENCY AT LENGTH ALARMED.

The police, on Monday, made a de-
scent upon the variety theaters which
have been a disgrace to the city for sew
eral months past, and closed out the
most prominent of them. Why these
places have so long been permitted to
pOlute the morals of the city with their
pestiiental breath, is something which
the women at least cannot understand.
Advertised with unblushing detail in
at least one Of the daily papers, sending
forth their strains of music and their
sounds of Indecent revelry by night in
such unmistakable tones that the most
unsophisticated passer-by could not be
deceived as to the evil character Of the
"entertainmenp going on within, the
greatest stretch Of charity will not al
low one to suppose that the city guard
ians have been until now ignorant Of
this nefarious business. Who shall un-
dertake to say how many footsteps have,
while the police slumbered and slept so
far as this matter was concerned, been
turned into paths of licentiousuess and
crime by the sOul-pollutiug influence Of
these nameless dens How many
mother hearts have ached aud bled for
the Wayward sons, who, enticed beyond
their presence and control by influences
which they were pOwerless 10 counter
act, have been become lewd in miud if
not in fact, and wait opportunities
which they fancy themselves competent
to create, to shipwreck the lives of
other mothers daughters, who are in
great measure unaware OF the pitfalls set
for the tripping feet Of the unwary
When will men realize that to prevent
crime is easier than to cure il? That to /
tear away the adder's fangs when deeply |
set leaves a gaping wound and ranking /
venom which, to greater or less extent, /
remains with the victim through life, /
while TO protect him from the insidiOus /
ntiousness-requires not a /
tithe Of the care or time or money that |
attempted future restraints demand. /
It is noticeable that when the city .
guardians at length determined to close
up these dens, they managed the matter
so adroitly in the interests Of the keep |
eTs OF the same that they got informa- |
tiOn Of the intention in time TO save /
themselves from arrest. They will prob /
ably lie low for awhile, subsisting upon 1
the price paid for the corruption Of the |
morals Of men and running the peace Of
women for a time, then begin again, |
unnoticed by the police, as before, and 4
again batten upon the unholy feast. |
They tell Us that demand creates supply.
With humiliation and sorrow for the I
depraved tastes Of those who demand
such places Of amusement, we acknowl- |
edge the fact. But look beyond for a
decade, even. Does not in turn the
present supply create the future de-
mand ? The ranks of debauches are
being constantly thinned by a stern
reaper whose name is Death Shall
they be for all future time as constantly
recruited by his chief emissary, licen-
tiOusness, which is merely monstrous
creature Of pamPered growth, drawing
its chief sustenance from these sinks of
iniquity? Which is the better, safer
and more humane plan, to throttle
present supply by rigid enforcement Of
law, or to create constant future demand
by indulgingit? Nodecade lives for itself
alone, and so sure as "the fathers eat
sour grapes, the children's teeth will be |
set on edge" Il is time indeed that /
decency should start up alarmed and, by .
controlling present vices, build bull
wark Of safety for the future morals Of
the people.