Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-03
TN PRICE PUT UPON oFFENsEs,
ereby the Rum-SeIler, the Prostitute
aad the Gamblers are Enabled 10
Continue Their ranie
"hat should be Done with the
Sidewalk LOafers.


mere are certain classes of people and
.aiss tnst are considered without the pale
u Nfiucisn, most especially il the critic
cu~ce 70 belong TO the uncritical feminine
=. ne principal classes of people that
ns5s5e tsczsly warned to handle with reVer-
,r,' sa awe are clergymen and lawmakers.
Inv inlngs Tat we are warned not TO touch
upon at all snless we are cranks or profess
sionsi pniisnshropists or Sisters of Charity,
= Snme IN auy one of its many dark shades
anu lateiui Earrings on people er a COM
uuAy. Asertheless women will some
ZINES ma themselves cogitating over the
IshioiiitF OF human nature, lawmakers not
For instanes as things now stand, there
are very few Statutory offenses that have not
their price; and there are very few statutory
onenders Il Invent the slightest idea that
my iechnlcalites would be recognizable in
the august Presence of a Criminal Court
VINO are not Wiling TO pay the price de-
manded Tor Y, indulgence of their little
crookednsss, reognizing the justice of the
ma , mat tnose sho dance must pay the I'D
uier all oil whlzh, to the unframed feminine
mino, SOUNDS tremendously like making
crime source q revenue. Does the uuiyer.
sal custom Of lining offenders have the
shgn.est enect UPON the offense? Is it not
SIMPLY qeestlca OF how much are you will
ing 10 pay ior IN privilege of outraging the
sense Oh decency d community? We, the
ia"-mskers, tnink il worth Just so many dol
lars; II you, The iaw-breakers, are able and
VIKING 70 pay nat many dollars, why, GO
anead; ~ 10 Mons OF our lookout after you
have paid up, which eventuates in the en-
rlchIng OF the Stse's exchequer, but leaves
tne oiates morals n something OF a muddIe. |
women are SO abs'rd, you know, as to fancy |
tnat taxing mony for the commission of |
an onense looks precisely like condoning |
mat ohense. IL Is astonishing what large |
iioerty oil sctlou AMI opinion is accorded to |
the lawmakers OF the land as a body. Now,
what howl would be raised in a commu
nifty If policeman, IN individual guardian
OF the peace, should rive ear to an eyil.doer.
accostng him In the Eee-small hours of the
night, should say: NY friend, it is nv de-
sire to enter into that house yonder for pur-
poses OF my own, nei in strict accordance
with the desires and views entertained by
some OF the inmates Il that house. See here.
II you promise not to Interfere with my fun
IN IN any way VIII mase il worth your while.
Name your price, The policeman who
would not indigna1ily reject the hush.
money thus offered bin, promptly arrest the
offender, and hand hin over to be dealt
with according to the Utmost rigor of the
law, would have his badge of Office stripped
from him and be cast cut as a faithiess
and iniquitous public servant. Has not
this case OF the indiyidsal guardian OF the
peace and the individual offender its
bench and the community who is. after
all, one big family whose peace and preser-
walton is intrusted 10 his keeping. Women
reason SO feebly, my lords, but some of them
cannot but look upon this fine business as
mere hush money. What punishment ia IL
to whisky seller, who is making his thous-
ands out oil The business that is bringing rain,
% adness, woe and death into tens of thous,
ands of homes that would otherwise be the
abode of peace and plenty, to have to pay
,nly 1.-THE Of his ill-gouen gains into the ..
state treasury, for permission 10 pursue, I'M
nolested, his traffic in human brains and
luman hopes?
What cares the soiled dove, who DESTROYS |
he peace OF neighborhood by occasional I
OF noisy obstreperousncss, that she C
2 called up before police court to make b
he dn'ende TO outraged propriety by paying
yer few of the dollars that she wins so 4
asily and airily (?) and spends SO reck- I,
essly? The publicity does not offend her, it v
; her capital; the foe does not affect her, it 81
J her little joke, which she accepts with o
milling grace and returns to her legitimate
usiness with unrufled. plumage. ;,
How near does fine come TO the scared y
onscience of the keeper of gambling hell? \
!, indeed, the amount of that 6ne was ever \
any mischance on the part of the law /,
aker made in excess of his receipts. then. | 8
ldeed, might Otheilo find his occupation ).
one; but as il is never more than a tri1e in !,
roportion TO the income his gilded halls, his
ductive free lunches, his baiefully fascin-
ing tables bring him be pays his license
II permission to fleece his felIowmep. and
'es on his way rejoicing.
What queer book tzbuiated statement
statutory ofenses and their graded prices !,
ould present! Something like this, yeu y
low, il one could put it INTO plain wo- 81
ans English: So many insults 10 sthe 10
immunity at $ per insult--sum total; so u
any ruined lives at 81 per Iife-sum CT CT
tai; so many cas- OF robbery a. $-pe
se-sum total. But 1t would never do 10
It things in such q crude, unyarnished Al
rm as that before the public that shrinks Tt
b asst from formal statistics Of the crimes en-
wink at in private. Hence the grand or
~ hnds misdeneanor indictments against pc
gnlos and gaminghouses and sgainst ca "a
'ns that sell liquor on Sundays. The pub in
conscience is soothed by the reflection col
At there are few more dollars in the State &C
asury. Women are constitutional fault Ia,
ders, hear some msie critic OF these in;
lectures declaring, 'but they are never Pr
lie ready with a remedy" Mercy, mes me
urs, we would offer notion or two in 4 da,
.ment II We were not quite we'll assured pa
SASAoAo lndl II WOulQ DC lduRueO 10 eC0Tl Rr(
woman's nonsense. imprisonment, i'm KIN
sonment, in the barest Of cells, with the an am
rdest OF fare and the coolest comfort for an
offenders against the peace and dig me
OF the community, is the pun IN m ;
ment women would mete out, and chs
1t be understood, that il ofenses must in
ne, woe be 10 him or her By whom they s an;
ne. As for fires, we would not LET the ex- he.
quer suffer, but we would keep its Golfers exc
by placing among the statutory Offend me
the noble army of la-de-dzb young men; csi
dsintily clad loafers who make nuisances out
themselves on every occzsion of public II
,rest, and on Sundays too; and of the tbs,
ace spirits who render walking In certain | for
'iliies nuisance, by keeping the pave the
us drenched with tobacco JUICE; and of the ecu
lans who take pride and delight in ma king dali
and insulting re1arks 70 gouDg shop one
who happen to be little lsie in return ties
TO their homes; of the nilk-man who livii
ers his milk; of the baker who pursues q ebil
EN- atlc system of shortages Of the mer- t S8
ut who blockades the sideTaIk With empty seen
goods boxes bris.iing with nails that The
erll the fnery of the passers-by. T Tss,
ever fear but what the treasury should | Inc
its legitimate harvest of ssiu without, fold
nov undoubtedly does, making crime t poa'
&c o. revenue: MoTHER GOOSE. aldo
/ peTiC