The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-22

on the line between virtue and vice, who can
say how many more would be plunged into
this abyss of misery by an apparent legal APP
prevail or recognition of the offense through
a system of license? Among the thousand
young men who are under incessant temp
tation in a city like this, who can say how
many are saved by the consciousness that
this offense is looked upon both by morality
and law as an offense, and is not even rec
ognized as permissible and legal? city
license constitutes a profession. The law
and opinion recognize the holders. The evil
becomes more fixed by its public recogni-
ton.
The.present condition of the whole matter
in New York is terrible. The humanity and
science which ought to minister to the fallen
woman as freely as to any other class, are re-
fused to her by the public, unless she apply
as a pauper. The consequence is that the
fearful diseases which follow her, like aveng-
ing furies have spread through not only this
class of women, but have been communicated
to the virtuOus and innocent, aud are under
mining the health of society. This fact is
notorious to physicians. Now we think a
reasonable middle course might be pursued
in this matter; that for instance, greater
cOnyeniences for medical attendance and adj
vice in the city land not on Blackwelfs
Island) might be afforded by our authorities
of this class, both as matter OF humanity
and as a safeguard TO the public health. If
there was a hospital or a dispensary for such
cases within the city, it would avoid the dis
grace and publicity of each patient reporting
herself to the court as pauper and then be-
ing sent to the Island Hospital. Hundreds
more would present themselves for attend
ance and treatment than do now and the
public health be proportionately improved.
No moral sanction would thus be given to
this demoralizing and degrading business.
The simple duties of humanity would be per-
formed.
FOREIGN LAWS.
The advocates of the license system would
still reply, however, that such a hospital
would not meet the evil; that law only can
separate the sickly from the healthy, and
thus guard society from the pestilence; and
the only law which could accomplish this
would be a strict system of license. The
friend of public order, however, would urge
that a wise legislator can not consider phySi-
cal well-being alone: he must regard also
the moral tendencies of laws; and the
influence of a license system is plainly
toward recognizing this offense as legal or
permissible. 1t removes indirectly one of
the safeguards of virtue. Perhaps the reduc
ito ad abSurdum in the relation OF the State
with a criminal class and of the Church with
the State, was never so absurdly shown in
the Berlin license laws twenty years since.
According to these, in their final result, Ii
cense was never given to this business any
more than to ony other, except on the evil
dence of the persons having been confirm
ed, or being a member OF the State Church,
that is a citizen! This CHASING, however
the trade with peddling or any other bust
ness needing license, did not in the least
tend, so far as we have ever heard, to elevate
the woman. or save them from moral or
mental degradation. On the contrary, the
universal law of Providence that man or
al. hat
natural substitute for it saps and weakens all
power and vigOr, applies to this class in con-
tinental cities as much as here. Without
doubt too, wherever the Germanic races are
no degree of leagalizing this traffic can ut
terly do away with the public sentence of
scorn against the female participants in it,
and the contempt of the virtu0us naturally
depresses the vicious.
The "public woman" has a far greater
chance of recovery in France or Italy, than
in Germany, England or America. Still, the
wise legislator, though regretting the de-
preston which this public sentiment causes
10 the vicious classes, cannot but value il as
safeguard OF virtue, and will be very eau
tiOuS how he weakenS ii by legislation. There
is, no doubt, force in the position that the
nOn-license OF these houses is in some degree
terror to the community, and the cautious
and prudent are kept from the offense
through fear of possible consequences.
IpNDON AND BEkllN
Bad as London is in this matter-not, how
ever, so much through the effect of licensing
as through want of proper street police-we
do not believe there is so widespread a deg
radiation among poor women in Berlin. New
York IS superior to any other great city in
the Old World in the virtue of its laboring
poor. Something of this. of course, is due to
our superior economical conditions; some
thing TO the immense energy and large means
thrown into our preventative agencies, but
much also to the public opinion prevailing in
all classes in regard to this vice. Our wealthy
classes, we believe, and certainly cur mid
die classes, have high sentiment in regard
TO the purity both of man and woman than
any similar classes in the civilized world
More persons relatively marry, and marriages
are happier. This is equally true of the up
per labOring classes. III il is not true of the
lowest poor this results from too great local
evils-Over-crowding and bad influences of
emigration. Still even with these the poor
of New York compare favorably in virtue
with those of Paris. Berlin or Vienna. Now,
how large part OF the public opinion which
thus preserves both ends of society from vice
may be due TO the fact that we have not rec
OgniZed the greatest ofiense against purity by
any permissive legisation2 The business is
ais and not even to be tacitly allowed by
license.
Meantime here it is. The police spasmodi-
cally attack it. The street children continu-
ally recruit it. Shall il be treated as our
pavements are-cleaned by the city? Or shall
1t be managed as the heat is-every man for
himself? Howard.
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.