The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-09
Superintendent Byrnes Says 1t
Can Not Be Suppressed.
BUT CAN BE KEPT HIDDEN.
He demonstrates With Parkhurst for
Prosecuting Unfortunate Women.
The ClerEyman's Chief Detective In
dicted for Blackmailing-Dr. Briggs
Charges the Prosecution With I'm
fairness-HereticS Smiths Case.

NEW YORK. Dec. s.--The fight between
Superintendent of Police Byrnes and Rev.
DIR. Parkhurst, president of the society
Tor the suppression OF vice, is growing
more bitter. Byrnes is out tonight in a
lengthy reply to Parkhurst's latest COM
munication. In it he produces statistics
TO show that while there are houses of
prostitution in New York there is not
another city in the world of its size so free
from the evil. After talking at great
length of the various methods of suppress
sion OF this vice, Byrnes says:
Dr. Parkhuast has lived in the world long
enough TO know how urcharitable it is toward
this class OF sinners (failen woInen); how little
1t has learned of the lessen his master taught
when they brought before him the woman
seized in adultery. Let me ask Parkhurst TO
how many OF them he has given shelter, how
many his society has taken from the street,
where they were driven by the public
sentiment he processes to represent?
theoretically there are two ways to deal with
pro'titution--oDe to suppress it, the other to
license 1t. Practically there is only one way.
Suppressed il never can be. Even Parkhurst
will not claim that. though he insists that the
police shall do it. License 1t We will not. There
remains only middle course--a compromise, if
farkhurst chooses. That course is to thrust the
evil as far possible out of sight, hide Ii from
the public view, where it cannot corrupt the
morals of our growing youth. That is al the
police can do, and they are doing it to the best
OF their ability.
Parkhurst may call 1t subterfuge, but know
and every policeman knows by experience that
in proportion to the efforts made to suppress
the evil along the only available path. 1t in
creases in yirulence, because breaking up
houses of iffsfame simply results in scattering
the inmates through tenement and apartment
houses, where they do infinitely more harm
than before.
As to gambling houses, let me say that when
teaching and preaching succeeds i'll making
men good then gambling will stop. Never in
the history of our city was there "a little gamb-
ling in public and as much in private as today.
Members gamble at their clubs and houses,
which the police cannot reach.
True charity begins at home. l shall be pre-
pared, when Dr. Parkhurst comes to
me in proper spirit of inquiry, to
show him well-trodden path that
leads from the very door of his church.
as it were, to brothel hardly gunshot away.
upon which his shadows might exploit them
selves with advantage, to the security and good
repute of his congregation, and with better sue
Cess than they have attained in their present
hunt. Such shadowing and misconduct as
Parkhursts agents and informers are compelled
to do in the interests Of morality has convinced
me that be has IN his paid agents and spies as
great set OF scoundrels as ever misled a reputa.
bic man into slanderng the fair name OF the city
which he makes his home.
New YoRK, Dec S.-The grand jury this
afternoon found two indictments against
Charles NJ. Gardner, chief detective for
DIR. Parkhurst's society, one charging ex-
tortion and the other attempted extortion.
The complaining witness was the keeper
of disreputable house.