The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-24
DIR. Parkhurst,s Vicious Defence.

Dr. Parkhurst's Vicious Defence.
The Herald says that "if DR.. PARKHuRs1
can be effectively squelched no other re-
former will make a similar attempt for q
dozen years to come" That Is the very
reason why he must be effectually
| "squclched." The Church and the Chris
tian ministry must be saved from the
danger OF further disgrace by possible imi.
tators Of his vile methods.
1t is to the great credit Of the community
that 1t was shocked by his proceedings;
but now attempts arc made to pervert the
healthful moral sense which was manifested
SO emphatically. The public are asked to
excuse him on the ground that his motives
were not bad; TINT the end he sought justi-
fed the means he used. 1t is devilish
principle. according to which every wrong
is made dofensible on the plea that the
motive OF the wrongdoer was not wrong.
When GuITEAU shot President GARFIELD
he carried that vile principle to its extreme.
He wanted to break up political methods
which were obnoxious to him. JACK the
Ripper might use it to glorify his horrible
crimes as righteous method OF frighten-
ing women from vice. II it was justihable
for DR.. PARKHURsT to violate to any extent
the moral law in order to prove and prevent
the corruption OF the police. it would have
been justiflable for him to commit
any and all crimes for that purpose.
If because his motives were good. his con-
duct was righteous in hiring and decoying
depraved and wretched women to exhibit
their shamelessness to him. he would have
been praiscworthy II he had lured the Po-
lice Commissioners into a dark alley and
assassinated them in pursuance OF pious
end. II any evil may be done that good
may come. OF course all evil may be done
with that end in view.
The vice which exists in the world Is a sad
evil; but the injury it does to society is ill.,
fnitesimal as compared with the damage
which would be wrought by the general ac-
HURsrs proceedings as sufficient in the
forum OF morals and religion. The moral
sense Of the public would DO undermined
fatally. Already the moral principle Of
many really good people has been twisted
and perverted by such devilish casuistry.
They are excusing the preacher by saying
that it is necessary to fight fire with fire. or
to attack the devil with his own weapons Of
deceit and falsehood.
By putting forward defence 80 vicious
DR.. PARKHURsT has become a corrupter Of
tho public conscience. and his evil influence
is the moro powerful because he remains in
Christian pulpit; and even some proiessed
organs OF religious truth are engaged In
efforts to pervert the minds OF their readers
for his benefit. They are doing all they can
to destroy the public capacity to distinguish
between right and wrong.
Even SO far rs concerns tho particular
form Of vice with which DR.. PARKHURsr
dealt on the principle that the end justifies
the means. the effect Of his proceedings
will be only evil. In satisfying his own
curiosity as to IL he has provoked the same
curiosity In many thousands Of other men.
and taught them a hypocritical excuse by
which they can assume to defendits gratifi-
cation. His effort to overcome vice with
vice was. of course. fruitless. The amount
OF vice existing after his detective ex-
ploration5 was not whit less than
before. The host of the vicious remained
undiminished. By stimulating curiosity
he simply provoked the vicious tendencies
OF human nature which give it employment
and encourage its increase. II DR.. PARK
HURST had been hired by the dissolute rs an
agent. he could not have served their base
purposes better. There may be some
changes in the localities of the forces Of
evil. but they will be strengthened rather |
than weakened in their assaults on virtue. |
They may be more scattered. but they will
be more pernicious
Meantime the damage done to tho public |
conscience by giving the sanction OF Il |
profcssedly Christian pulpit To tho deyiisll |
doctrine that the end iustilies tho means. |
will multiply the difficulties before the |
Church; and the example furnished by u |
professedy Christian preacher in under
taking to use it for his justification as a |
dccoy Of the vicious, vii! tend TO bring the
whole ChrlsLNti ministry into disrespect.
AS u measure Of necessary sc.f-defrnce. the
Christian Church should disown this man
md denouncc his inc,hp,.s. AS the Herald
Expresses il, he must be sqcched.