Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-03-05
BABYLON THE GREAT.
A correspondent of the Baltimore Am

A correspondent Of the Baltimore 1mers-
can, writing from New York, says
'The time is rapidly approaching when
GENTLY large to enable them to select a
place of abode without reference to business
Interests, will shun New York city as a
place of residence as they would the pestif-
erous swamps of Florida in midsummer.
| The whole moral atmosphere here is mala-
rious The tide Of immigration that flows
hither from the Old World sweeps on TO
build up the waste places of the West, while
invigorating rills are more and more divert
cd to the cities to the southwark: but the
dregs, the scum, the mud and the filth settle
here, and mingling with the unclean soil
that underlies the social life of the modern
Babylon, form the prolific hot-bed from
which spring vice and crime and corruption
of every Kind. In spite of the finest police
in the world immortality Of every kind
haunts itself in the glare Of noon, and un-
coils like Il glistening snake under the
electric light that relieves the darkness OF
the midnight hour. The police make spor-
adic raids on the gambling houses, but
gambling iourishes as much as ever Liq
uor saloons are everywhere, and in the tene-
ment-house districts you may count four or
five Of the worst class on a block, distillinS
the vilcst poison for the poor. Their side
doors are open on Sunday, and after the
midnight hour, in spite Of the law and occa-
sional pretended efforts for its enforcement.
yet darker evils that are undermining the
very constitution of society flourish in open
defiance Of dcccucy on every side. Or
course, there are some quarters that are
worse tnau others, like IL single block Of
West Twenty y-scVcnth street, for instance,
through which men with the least respect
for their mothers and wives would not con
duet them in broad daylight. But these
things are not confined TO limited quarters
Everywhere they crop out, invading, with
braZen eirontery, the locations where the
wealth and the fast dissoving refinement Of
the city center Vice ilourishes because the
vicious classes rule. The liquor dealers are
the little bosses in their Immediate neigh
borhoois They marshal the disorderly
classcs-the thieves and the drunkards, the
corner loaicrs and the tramps who sweep
out bar.rooms for drink or two Of Whislley
and through them thoy gain control Of the
democratic primaries, where the rulers ofthc
CITY arc selected by plachinery. The result
is that, directly or indirectly, the metropoli-
"
creature Of the law-Dreakng classes. OF
course these elements Of evil are conlbattcd hy re-
srectat.c pcoplc, but they in tho minority :;
and year hy year the forces Of Satan arc recruited
from the slums OF European cities, and from the
restless rowdjes and criminals Of other parts of
this continent who naturally graviatc toward
the great evil in this country -misrulcd, abused
and helpless New York The subject is forcing
itself upon the attention OF the honest people of
the city. 1t Is the topic of conversation where
gentlemen lacet. Il is the whispered terror Of
the .ircsidc. Men Of wealth are waking up to the
fact that ere long it will be unsafe for them and
for their families and property on Manhattan
Island. Many are quietly looking for real estate
investments in tho midst of other communities
where the domestic virtues flourish, where there
IS :. strong public sentiment against the evils that
are growing so rapidly here into 4 threat against
the wcl.to-do classes. Many Of late have taken
up permanent residences at Newport. which form
erly was regarded as only summer resort; and
more are turning their eyes to the beautiful cities
farther SOUTH where luxury and refinement dwell
secure among high-spiritcd people, with in
stinc;s that will not brook the tampering with
crime and colluson with law breakers that are
so common iu New York.