The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-10
Dispute Over the Moral Condition OF
Gotham Takes on New Vir-
ulence
Supt. Byrnes Tolls What the Po-
lice Gan and Can Not
Accomplish.
Offers to Show parkhursi Some Thines
Near His own Church-Opinion of
His Spies.

NEW YORK, Dec. 9.-The fight between
Superintendent of Police Byrnes and Rev.
DR.. Parkhurat. president of the Society for
the Suppression of Vice. is growing more
bitter. Byrnes came out last night in a
lengthy reply to Parkhurst's latest comm
nication. In it he produces statistica to
show that while there are houses of prosti-
tution'in New York. there is not another
city IN the world of its size 80 free from the
evil. After talking at great length OF vari-
ons methods for the suppression of this
vice, Byrnes says: "Dr. Parkhurst has lived
IN the world long enough to know how nm
charitable 1T is toward this class of sinners
(fallen women; how little it has learned of
the lesson the Master taught when they
brought before him a woman seized in
adultery. Let me ask Parkhurst how many
Of them he has given shelter how many his
society has taken from tho street. where
they were driven by the public sentiment
he processes to represent? Theoret-
lcally, there are two ways to deal
with prostitution; one to suppress II. the
other to license it. Practically there is
only one way. Suppressed it never can be.
Even Parkhurst will not claim that though
he insists that the police stall do il.
License it We will not. There remains only
the middle course, compromise. That
course is to thrust the evil as far as possible
out of sight; hide it from public view,
where it cannot corrupt the morals of our
growing youth. That is all the police can
do. and they are doing it to the best of their
ability.
"Parkhurst may call it subterfuge. but 1
know il md Eno hx,a
perience. that in proportion to the efforts
made to suppress the evil along the only
available path it increases in virulence, be-
cause the breaking up of houses of ill fame
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 in
making men good, then gambling will stop.
Never in the historyof our city was there as
little gambling in public and as much in
private as to-day. Patrons now gamble at
their clubs and in private houses. which
the police cannot reach"
In closing the superintendent says: True
charity begins at home. / shall be pre-
pared. when DIR. Parkhurst comes to me in
proner spirit of inquiry, to show him we'll
odden path that leads from the very door
of his church, as it were, to brothe, hardly
gun shot away, upon which his shadows
might exploit themselves with advantage to
the security and good rep1te of his con-
gregation, and with better success than
tney have attained in their present hunt.
such shadowing rs the misconduct of Park
hursts agents and informers compelled me
TO do in the interests of morality has con-
WINGED me that he has in his paid agents
and spies as great set of scoundrels as
ever misled n reputable man into slander-
ing the fair name Of the city which he
makes his home.''