The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-12
SHOULD MINISTERS GO sLUMMINGP

In the first place DR.. Parkhurst is not
the first gentleman of the cloth who has
fallen upon the plan OF combating vice
by visiting its dens and exposing 1t first
hand as he has seen it.
1t fact, this mareuver has been carried
out by several clerical gentlemen before
him. So when DR.. Parkhurst hired
gentleman of the detective force
to guide him to these scenes
of forgotten morals and nefarious
lasciviousness, he may have been carry
ing out a plan of his own, but it was
not at all original.
This idea of ministerial Summing, so
reprehensible to some, is not new.
For some time DR.. Parkhurst has been
fighting the vice and vicious influences
of New York City. On March II the
reverend doctor. detective agent.
Charles Gardener, John Erwin, a clerk
employed in Wall street, went to a
house of not over nice repute III the
slums of the great city. The
reverend doctor brought charges against
the mistress of this house last week be-
fore the grand jury. He testified that
when the party entered the room they
found a number of young girls there.
Beer was ordered, of which everybody
present partook. Then either Mr.. Erwin
or Mr.. Gardner said that if any of the
girls had anything to do they had better
DO it. The can-can dance was decided
upon and five of the girls selected for
the performance The girls disrobed in
another room and danced while in this
condition. After the circus more beer
was had and then So was paid by them
for each girl dancing.
The reverend gentleman admitted that
Mr.. Erwin had danced with one of the
women and that Agent Gardner played
leapfrog with them.
Messrs. Erwin and Gardner also testi-
fed, their evidence being in most re-
spects similar to that given by DR.. Park
hurst. Mr.. Gardner, when asked what
part he played in the game of leapfrog,
replied: cit was the frog"
This is what has brought such flood
of ridicule, abuse and approbrium upon
DIR. Parkhurst's head the last few days.
The question is asked: SHOULD min
listers go summing"
The thought of a Christian guide of a
large flock and a minister of the gospel
voluntarily beholding and seeking to be-
hold such degrading thing, is at once
repulsive to the better element of the
people, without saying any more about it.
In defense DR.. Parkhurst can urge
that in warning with vice it is necessary
for the combatant to face the enemy as
it is, expose it cringing to the clear
white light of virtuous and abhorrens
nation.
Let us do DIR. Parkhurst the justice of
saying that that was his intention.
But the position is untenable. The
world knows, without a minister prov
ing it to them, that the can-can and
many other unspeakable degrading
sights exist in the Sums of all great
cities. 1t is for the legislatures to enact
against such, and the police to wipe
them out in the enforcement of the law.
Mayhap, it was knowledge that the
police were not doing their duty that in
spired Dr. Parkhurst TO air this disgust
ing rottenness: but the publication of a
great city is more difficult than the con-
quest of a nation; and the expose of
condition of affairs that everybody is
already acquainted with, by a single re-
former, will not accomplish much if
anything.
Great cities have had and will have
that bad element in them that always
testers before the eyes of society like a
great sore. 1t can not be wiped out in a
year or at a single blow. Meanwhile
the divine who breaches the Word from
the pulpit is at the head of the move
ment, slow but sure, pure and unques-
toned; the impatient soldier, like Dr.
Parkhurst who dashes ahead of the great
army and wades in single-handed is
likely to do more harm than good, and
for his pains have his intentions ques-
toned, his motives impugned, and his