The Indianapolis journal., 1885-08-02
THE WICKEDNESS OFLONDON
The Sensational Crusade of the Pail
Nall Gazette Against Vice.
A Bid For Revolution Which Has Failed
Because the People Are Mild-Tempered or
Because They Do Not Believe the Story.


journalistic sensationasm the action of the Pail
Mall Gazettein its crusade against vice is unique
There has been nothing like 1t in this
country nor in America, and it Is to be hoped
there never will be again. For five days the
people OF London have been assaulted with a
diarnal tale of horrors. The streets have been
threnged with ruffians, who have accentuated
the Pail Malls narrative with shocking placards
and with sicGening cries. No moro terrible bid
fer revolution has been made in my time
Tks temper of the lower classes of London
is either excessively mild or the story of the
''dissolute ricn" tyranizing over 1.-The miserable
poor is regarded as mild exaggeration From
DAY to day the Pail Mall, with details filthy and
frightful, denounced the rich and exhibited the
sufTerings of the poor in the most awful light,
and on Saturday Reynolds's Newspaper added
unavailng fuel to the flames by a barefaced lie
worthy Of itself. 1t stated that the delay in
passing the criminal amendment bill was the
work Of the Tories, whereas the truth is the bill
has been twice indorsed by the House of Lords
and twice setaside by the late government of
Mr. Gladstone The chief clause in this bill is
to make the seduction of girl under fifteen or
tie age at thirteen. The Pail Mall stated in its
preliminary article that the Importance of the
measure has been admitted by both parties. and
is based upon the urgent recommendations of a
House Of Lords committee of which Lord Sails
bury was prominent member" To try and FIX
the delay on the Tories is on par with the kind
OF revolutionary journalism which is character
issic Of ReynoIds's Newspaper, founded by that
master of filthy fiction, G. w M Reynolds the
author of THE Mysteries of London" and other
literary rakings Of the sewers.
If the Pail Mall Gazette, really weighed down
with a sense of responsibility to the public, had
devoted one days paper to the subject, had
treated it with solemn dignity, had made an
earnest cry, a soul stirring appeal for the chill
arsn, and had followed it with invitation to
'the powers that be" to inspect its evidence and
examine its witnesses, one would have been bet
ter satisfied with the moral purpose of the ed
itor; but first to warn the squeamsh not to buy
the paper for four days, and then to cram its
pages day after day with a repetition of horrors,
tAs dull monotony of which was UNMARRIED either
ia scene or subject, lays the editors motive open
TO grave doubt. When threatened with prosecu-
tiOa he declared if he were attacked he would
make public the names of prince Of the blood
cabinet ministers, and other distinguished people
who had visited at least one of the immoral
houses which he had exposed 1t is said at the
cIubs and elsewhere that certain prince and a
certain great minister had once visited very
!1swell" house of assignation at the West End
The hostess, Mrs. Jeffries has lately, be-
love, retired, and it is said the Pail Mall
commissioner has got from her list of
names of persons who have visited her house.
And this is the Sword of Damocles.' which is
to fall on certain aristOcratic heads, should the
editor or proprietor be prosecuted. At the same
time, the Pail Mall declares that Mrs Jeffries is
one of the best and most respectable women of
her class. and must not be put in the category of
the fiends in woman shape who keep houses to
facilitate tho ruin of young girls. If New York
Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington Brooklyn,
Boston. published the names of the men who
have done the rounds Of their fast houses. "
ont of curiosity. for Instruction. or for expert
ence or to see the sights, or what not and if
every mans reputation in that list were to be
blasted by some secret commissioner in connec-
ton with description of 1.-The horrors of great
cities, America and England would be provided
with another new sensation, no doubt. The
faRatical religious element which has been i'm
ported into the Pail Mall business is strong
that the threatened men are said to go IN fear,
though it is we'll known they are but scapegoats
for the handful of backguards whose doings the
fail to open the eyes of other scoundres and
suggest TO innocence thoughts and ideas that
will contaminate the minds Of thousands.
Heaven forbid that | should be regarded as
standing on the side of the beasts who prey upon
unprotected women. l have denounced la my
novels in essays and on all occasions, the skunks
who prow about the streets and insult women. In
''To day in America dwelt upon the contrast
between the position of women III America and
England and very much to the discredit of
n | have
immense satisfaction of thrashipg London
skunks in the public streets whom saw at their
dirty work. But | question most seriously
whether in his enthusiasm for the triumph of
virtue and the punishment of vice any man is
justified IN going into the company of young peo-
pie and explaining the purpose of these villains
dwelling upon their supposed physical pleasure
and the method of it, and otherwise introducing
them into the secrets of a hell upon earth. Yet
this is what the Pail Mall has done. and for a
whole week. Its emissaries with piacards no
tifyipg the erightful contents Of the paper. have
secured the streets on their filthy errands, and
thrust their nOiSome wares upon men and
women, girls and boys Nothing to my
mind could be sadder or more humlating
than to see these messengers of filth
hunting the entrance to Lords cricket
ground on the two days of the great schools
matches, when the boys OF EtOn and Harrow and
their friends had assembled. to enjoy their
annual holiday. The flower of the youth of
England, with their mothers. and sisters and
friends, had 10 run the gauntlet of the plaeards
and cries Of the gutter snlpes. who were selling
the Pail Mall Gazette's disgusting revelations
No city of America would have permitted this
for five minutes. If the Tory Home Secretary
hello his hand in the interest of any man. out
of the fear of doing something that might be
regarded unpopular at the general elections,
the sooner he is chucked out of Office the better
The Pail Mall Gazette, so far as | can see
only mentions three or four men-one in particu-
lar-as guilty of the systematic ruin of young
girls The secret commissioner has obtained his
information from pimps, PROGRESSES and brothel
keepers. Is he to have the privilege of screen
ing these wretches because they have enabled
him to create ''the sensation Of the century"
and to sell his paper faster than he
can print it! Surely when person knows such
criminals, and can prove their crimes. he ought
10 proclaim them. Is it for newspaper to
take this supreme power upon itself and outrage
the public mind with details of crimes which,
beng tired in court of Justice, are tried in the