Daily Republican., 1883-05-02
An Age OF Vice.

An Age OF Vice.
Those who have lived past the aver.
age OF human life and who have beer
observant of the ups and downs Of life
are very apt To come to the conclusion
that vice is on the increase in greater
ratio than the increase of population, -
In times past the number of young
men who drank intoxicating liquors
was small. and those who drank were
exceptions. Shall we not truthfully
say now that the situation has been re-
versea, and the number who do not
drink Intoxicating liquors are the ex-
certions? Vice is all around us, temp
tation is everywhere, and tempters are
at nvery corner to lure the unwary to
ruin. As soon as the young go over
the door sill, and their feet touch the
pavement they are in the way Of temp
tation and sin. These temptations are
manifold and are ingeniously graded to
suit all tastes and pursuits, but are all
alike organized in the interest of sin
and vice.
Prominent amongst the vice of the
age is the gambling den run by pro-
fessional gamblers in some upper room
in some public street, but entered by
some circuitous route, through some
back alley, the difficulty of finding
which is supposed to be sufficient ex-
cuse for police officers pleading ignor-
ance of their existence.
The young men of respectable families
and social connections would hesitate
to enter such a den of vice at first,
but many do not hesitate to take the
first step in that direction by playing
"pOol' at the saloon where drinks take
the place Of chips" because pool is
a grade or two higher in respectability.
Pool has become 80 popular and its in
f1uences are 50 insdious that it should
be recognized as the macadaniized
highway to the final ruin of young
men, and every watchful parent and
good citizen should set his face against
its extension.
But the temptations are not all In the
path Of young men. Young women un-
protected are not safe upon the streets,
especially in the evening when the
sable mantle Of night has shrouded
everything in darkness, relieved only by
the tittul glare OF electric and gas
lamps. We want to speak plainly upon
this question, because the evil is great
one, and timely word might save the
grief Of some respectable family. There
may not be gambling dens which allure
young girls to ruin, but there are other
denS Of iniquity equally as potent and
which do their work as etfectually. The
road to these denS of vice is paved with
street tirtatiOn5 with strangers and
corner loungerS, the one sex making adj
vances, and the other encouraging them,
often in the spirit Of frolic and fun,
without realizing the risk they run OF
moral contamination. If the history of
social degradation were truthfully writ
ten, the sad fall Of the frail creatures
who are stunned by the vrtuous of
their sex could he traced in almost
every case to what seemed at the time
an innocent street Irritation, and which
was no doubt meant to be 50 at the
time.
But how many there are who cannot
stand against these seductive Influences? ?
Those who doubt the truth of what we
are saying should take a stand some
evening III front Of a street corner lamp
in moderately travelled section Of the
city, and watch and note the sights ut It
single evening. How deluled many
parents are who innocenty suppose
their young daughters are ont taking
an innocent walk. Little do they tAlnk
of the dangers to which they are ex-
posed. II they only knew, they would
not let them 20 out alone. How true
comes il the words of the poet Pope
"Elcc is "a monster Of such frightful meln
That tU be hated, needs but to be seen;
Yet 'ccu too 1T, familiar with her face
We trst endure, then pity, then embrace"
Mnph mi o.. 40 soil ,lu ~ Of ia.
Of the club room. Associations seem to
be the order OF the day. A club Is or
ganzed under some high sounding
title that is apt to deceive the public as
to its true PURPOSES Boys must asso-
ciate They must be mem bers of club
of some kind. When they take their
hats and coats and start out for the
night, they are "only going to the
club" The parents approyingly smile
upon the pr"cocious lads going out to
enjoy themselves. Little DO they think
that 'nry are stepping into the broad
road That .raGs 10 vice and death |
MaHv Of these club associations are
nothing mr" than gambling and drink
I'M. aasun.atlm,, and boys should be
taught 'n avoid them as they would
death itself
Mr. P"rr"r'- N"n-partisanship.
Mr. Porte! - the Water Commission
is a faIrrnHIrI. honorable man, and
Notwithstanding the very obnoxious
features I'D. tn" Water Commission bill,
that feeling wt5 considerably modified
when il Wa announced that he was to