The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-21
LICENSING SOCIAL EVIL.
Testimony of st. Louis Police Judge as to
the Deplorable Effects of the System.

The discussion of the proposition to license
houses of prostitution in this city,. caused DIR.
]. T. Boyd, who lived in ST. Louis while the IL
cense system was in operation there to write to
Judge NJ. R. Cullen. prominent lawyer. who
was police judge at the time and who in the be-
ginning. favored the law but afterward ad-
vocated its repeal soliciting an expression
of opining from him on the matter.
A long letter has been received from him. in
which. speaking of the experience in st. Louis.
he says: 81 give my opinion as one who is not
fanatical on any subject-as a man of the world
For some four years our legislators legalized in
St Louis the social evil called, and during
that period | was the sole judge of the City
Court. l was greatly in favor of trying the ex-
pertinent, as its advocates had asseverated that
it was both humane and most wise manner of
public policy, and SO far as could as judicial
officer, aided them by giving hearty support to
the social evil law, until repealed. Before the
enactment of the law, ST. Louis had or
dinance which made it a misdemeanor for
persons to associate with prostitutes. and as
long as it was enforced by the police, 1t
was terror to young men, especially to
those who habitually visited these classes, and
also to those who would have sought such asso-
Citations but for the ordinance. The legalizing
of the socialevil element, our Supreme Court
no one could ne guilty of an illegal and evil
association as long as the occupation was legal
lied. After shat decision the police could not
make arrests, and the palaces of sin became
the principal resorts of young men, where their
orgies were the sources of extreme demoraliZa-
ton, morally and physically The married men,
who often are solely restrained by fear of evil
consequences / was informed by some of the
medical examiners, would discover when these
examinations were held, and acting on that
knowledge and the presumed protection offorded
by them, would indulge in illicit practices only
to find that the medical security of
fered was a delusion and a snare. and
fathomless woe was often the result of their
faith, In which virtuous wife and family were
involved. The immense revenue derived from
fines dues, ETC., collected from the unfortunate
women became pot for gambling politicians
to play and scramble for. Offices were created
to aid in the different methods adopted to en-
force the social system, and the social-evll power
was daily becoming social evil in politics A
Mayor of ST. Louis knew the power of this class
SO well that under the guse of being kind
hearted humanitarian, by which pretense he de-
celved many innocent. guileless people, would
often spend large portion OF Sundays at the
social-evil hospital, addressing the girls as he
affectionately called them, and partaking OF the
bountlful feasts that would be spread upon the
social-evil table. Doubtless he and his satellites
his appointees, could tell the public,
if they would, the great moral and
outstanding effects OF his visits, and their
virtuous attention to this class on the Sabbath
day as during the week. The licensed merchant
princesses and their natural allies the gamblers,
at the time exercised great power in our city
elections; but the repeal of the social evil law
and the enactment of the law making keno,
faro etc., felony, has eliminated to very great
extent those classes from politics; yet we have
more than enough of the worst elements of So
ciety left to intimidate the weak officials and
corrupt most of the balance Under the legal
lied social evil system, virtuous working girls,
seeing that vice is made legal and respectable,
are tempted to seek the seeming pleasures and
extravagances of the bagnio life rather than toll
in poverty and honor. Tue houses of prostitu-
ton become respectable places of resort for
young men, and, therefore, in short, l look upon
the social-evi law as Pandora's box opened upon
the community without having even Hope at the
bottom. / write this in haste and, of course, do
not disclose fully al! the enormities that mark
the loathsome trail of the soca-evi license law.