Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-10

yesterday IN preparing statement IN
reply to DR.. Parkhurst. IL was late In
the afternoon when be gave Ii out.
Following is his statement In part:
/ have read over very carefully the
statements made by DR.. PsrkhurSt, and
as far as could perhaps expect they
cOrroborate what have said about him
and his methods. ! have 20 thank DR..
Parkhurst for making the issue be has
raised st last sharp and clear. had
given him credit beiOre-as it now ap-
pears WrOngly-from his public utter
ances on platform and IN the pulpit, for
being In the field to suppress vice and
crime. That was what his society was
organized for and that was what his
predecessors labored for. DR.. Park
hurst says fatty that is not his aim. He
is not trying to suppress gambling or
repress the social evil. He is In the
field to attack the police.
As say, that is a new departure. 1t
Is easy for me now to understand why
he has never asked my help or offered
to help me, a thing which has never
been clear to me before. He is not an
ally; he is an enemy.
PARKHURST's SLIGHT OF THE POLICE.
He assumes this attitude without
having ever put the sincerity Of the po-
lice, their Willingness to do the thing
which he says he is not doing, viz, the
suppression OF crime, TO the test, aud
upon the bare evidence that crime ex-
lists, that il has not been suppressed.
That Is true. The evidence is there,
DR.. Parkhurst has found it, and any
persistently enough in the midnight
hours when good citizens should be IN
bed will be sure to find it.
DR.. Parkhurst went abroad this sum-
mer aud saw something Of life in the
great cities Of Europe, l am told. Is he
prepared TO say that be sought 1t there
and did not find it; that IL is harder to
find IL there than in New York? IL so,
his observations are sadly at variance
with those of most travellers, whose tes-
timony is to the effect that New York
is cleaner, purer city than even those
foreign communities where vice in the
special form toward which his attacks
are directed is deliberately licensed for
the purpose Of keeping it within re-
straint.
SAFETY on THE STREETS OF NEW YORK.
There is no doubt about this. No
woman need fear insults in New York's
streets; no man need fear danger for
his morals here unless be is out looking
for il. But, says DR., Parkhurst, the
law specifically charges the police with
the duty Of suppressing gambling and
other forms of disorder That is also
true and the police are doing what they
can. Perhaps we could have done bet
ter with the assistance of DR.. Park
bursts society and his special knowl-
edge Of these dens. Very likely. We
have not had that assistance. The evil
dence of crime which his agency col
looted they used iOI their own purposes.
What these purposes sometimes were
was shown in the arrest OF his chief
detective the other day for C!ackpail
and extortiOn. DR.. Parkhurst may still
believe In his innocence. l do not.
will not enter into a discussion Of
the WeariSome problem. 1t is as old as
original sin. But since DR.. ParkhurSt
has made his position clear it is fair
that l should do the same FOR the po-
lice.
Theoretically, there are two radical
ways TO deal with this evil. One is TO
to suppress it, the ether is TO license It.
Practically there is only one way. Sup
pressed, it can never be. Even DR..
Parkhurst will not claim that, though
be insists that the police shall do it.
license it we will not.
ONLY A MIDDLE COURSE TO PURSUE.
There remains only middle course.
q compromise course, If DR.. Parkhurst
chooses. 1t is just that, and nothing
else compromise with the public con-
science that knows it's own guilt, as aid
the crowd that brought the woman to
the Savior, and sneaked away, every
one, when He babe him who was sinlesS
cast the first stone. That course is to
thrust the evil as far as possible out OF
sight, hide it from public view, where 1T
cannot corrupt the morals OF our grow
ing youth.
That is all the police can do, and that
they are doing, to the best Of their
ability. 1t is the only way that is open.
to US. - II Dr. ParkhurSt knows a bet
ter, If any citizen or set Of citizens can
show me a better, or can or will aid me
in making that one one more thorough
by any evidence in their possession,
shall gladly do all that lies In my power
TO help him or them.
When teaching and preaching sue
coed In making men good then sin will
stop; before that it will not. / main
tain that never in the history Of our
city was there so little Of it in public
and probably so much Of it IN private
As to-day. Such shadOwing as the mis-
conduct OF DR.. Parkhurst's agents and
ipfoFmers has compelled me to do in the
interests Of public morality has thor
oughly convinced me that be had In his
nav as agents and spies IS great q set
OF scoundrels as ever misled reputable
man into slandering the fair name OF
the city which he makes his home.
WHAT THE DOCTOR HAS TO SAY.
DIR. Parkhurst was seen regarding
this statement, and the gist Of 1t was
told to him. ~ shall be happy to re-
DIV to It II necessary, he said. at
may not be necessary, but cannot re-
ply tonight"
DR.. Parkhurst was told that Superin-
tendent ByrneS had said he had done
what be considered best In the interest
OF public morality. This betrayed the
Doctor into little acrimOny. "Well,
he has got to do better" ne said.
The grand jury this afternoon found
two indictments against Charles M.
Gardner, chief detective Of Rev. DR..
Parkhurst's society. One Indictment
charges him with extortion and the
other with ATTEMPTED eXtOrtion.