Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-05-27
The May Meetings efforts Of PhiIanthrophy
and ReIig,onto Stay the Mad Torrent
Of Vice, Debauehefy
and Ruin,
WHICH SWEEPS THOUSANDS BEFORE u
The Thousands Of Painted Sirens Who
Swarm Throughout London-sRsFta
at State Reaulatioa--Ihs
Affirmation Bill,

DODItct tuSCto vi Nhtuc ouN sA>
products of vice, the best results OF CIV
ilization and the worst, the highest
happiness and the deepest misery, all
aourishing side by side, That the good
preponderates over the evil no one can
deny, but how little the better elements
of society succeed in their efforts to
conquer the forces of wlckedness, how
poorly, indeed, they restrain, much less
subdue them, are facts which are as
obvious and unbeatable to those fight
ing the battle as to the visitor from
abroad. In London, which is always
the best source of observation Tor the
social reformer, there Is presented just
now peculiarly forcible reminder and
illustration of these facts. What are
known throughout the world Is
The May MeesinEs
are in progress here. At these assem-
blings representatives Of nearly all the
religious and philanthropic societies In
the realm gather in annual conclave to
talk of what has been done In the past
and to lay plans for the work of the
future. The reports presented show
vast expenditure of time and effort and
all enormous outlay Of money, all be-.
slowed, apparently, with the utmost
freeness, and the whole furnishing an
exhibition Of Christian benevolenOe
and activity such as the Christian
world at large might well rejoice In. To
visit a few of these meetings on sue.
cessive days leaves one with clear
conviction of tbs predominant religious
character of the nation, and were 1t not
for the surroundings outside, you could
almost persuade yourself that while
visiting in Christian London you were
sojourning
Next Door to Paradise.
But how different the reality, for in the
city that is the centre Of these evange-
lizing influences there are over 5000
saloons, more than $4,000 prostitutes,
$50, 900 known thieves, and over 1,OO0,-
600 people who, as Sir VIM. Macarthur
declared few days ago, never set foot
in place OF worship! This, while the
people of England are doing vastly
more than any other nation on earth
for the cause of foreign missions, and
in spite, too, ofthe multlfarious agencies
employed for the uplifting Of the
masses at home. The scene of most OF
these May Meetings is the world.famed
Exeter Hall, a place which has swarm
ed day and night for weeks past, as it
will for weeks to come, with the men
and women who constitute
EngIands Truesi Aristocracy.
the aristOcracy Of moral worth and de-
votion to good deeds. A suggestion Of
the strong contrasts marking the social
life Of the people is thus found in the
very locality Of these holy conclaves,
for Exeter Hall Is situated In the Strand,
u portion Of London which, whatever
its business aspect during the day, 10
abandoned after nightfall almost entire
ly to pleasllre-seeking, drink ng and
debauchery. Within stones throw
Of this hall are nearly score OF theatres
and concert rooms, some of the latter
Of which have surely escaped the no.
tice Of the high functionary who sits in
judgment on the morals Of srIch places.
Stand in front of Exeter Hall any of
these nights after dark, and while
everything within its precincts Ii sug-
gestive Of lofty thoughts and noble ac-
tons, outside the glare OF the lights in
front of the drinking places and the
chatter OF half drunken men,
mingled with the giddy laugh Of
The Painted Siren.
will make your head swim and the
heart grow faint with utter disgust Of
the scene. There Is perhaps only one
ether locality in all London where the
social evil il more Obtrusive than here.
Bt sides the many abandoned females
who brazenly parade the sidewalks OF
the public thOroughfare, you find
groups of them stationed Mt the corners
of all the side streets, while the rail-
way station near by Is perfect rem
devious for such characters. In the
electric illumination of this place there
seems to be o fascination for these
creatures. The light draws them az 1t
does insects, and with equally damag-
ing results, for under the glare of the
carbon the glamour OF beauty and mys.
terry which partial darkness throws
over their compilations Is ruthlessly
stripped of, and they appear to the be-
hOldes in the hdeOus gtiise which paste
and powder impart. That these
Unhappy wrctche~,
over whose miserable lot every true
heart must bleed in pity, but whose
powers for mischief are so vast as to
cause the philanthropist to tremble
with alarm, should be allowed such
license under the very eyes of the 20.
lice, on one of the great thoroughfares
Of Christian England, is one of the
marvels OF the time. With the history
OF what has been, or is being, done to
regulate this mOnstrous iniqlIity, your
correspondent has not yet had time to
make himself familiar, but the readers
Of THE SUNDAY REGISTER shall know
all on this subject that can be beneficial
to them shortly. Meanwhile let US be
thankful that Exeter Hall still stands,
and that II stands just where II d0es-a
bulwark in front OF the weakest spot In
the Notifications, lighthouse in the
midst Of the shoals on which 30 many
thousands are in danger Of being
wrecked.
j may say In this connection that the
people Of this country are opposed by q
large majority to any
State 1egulstisa.
OF me social evil that either involves
an added degradation to. the untortu.
nate women, Oh that promises an addi-
tional security to the greater sinners In
the case, the degraded men who make
these women. the victims of their lust.
The resolution recently passed by the
House Of Commons, snnulling that pox-
ton OF the Contagious Disease Acts, in
force now In three q the garrison towns
ofthe Kingdom, which provides for the
compulsory exa1AiDation of women,