The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-30
Parkhursts I. 1877 Spies.

PARKHURsT suffered severely at the
hands Of the speakers at a meeting OF the
Social Purity League on Monday night.
DR.. RAINSFoRD finds that as q conse-
quence Of his detective enterprise immoral
ity is only distributed over a wider area.
The disease has not been lessened. The
seeds have merely been scattered and made
more productive OF evil.
DR.. DE COSTA is SO much outraged by
PARKHURsT's methods OF melting vice in
order to betray the vicious to the law that
he hopes that "a bill will bo introduced at
Albany to make it criminal offence to
| tempt any man or woman to conviction. -
That is. he thinks that in justice PARK
HURST ought to be down on the Island In
company with the women he hired to get
up naked circus" for his benefit.
The whole testimony OF tho meeting was
that PARKHURsT's experiment OF doing evil
to bring about good had worked to the salts
faction Of the devil only. The profligacy OF
the clerical detective served only to en-
courage and extend profigacy. 1t also
stimulated hypocrisy by suggesting way
Of gratifying depraved curiosity under
the pretext OF promoting social reform.
So far as we have been able to find from
the reports OF tho meeting. nothing was
said about PARKHURsT's new detective en-
terprise though it is even more provoca-
tive OF discussion than tho first. When he
went about town on his nocturnal visits to
the temples Of VENUS" as he loosely call
ed the vlcst Of the vile dcns OF vice. no took
with him one Christian young man only.
Now he proposes to enlist in this service
1877 Christian young men MS his conductors.
These yo;ing fellows are to be trained
under him in all tho arts of the spy, and no
has issued call for such pupils from the
pulpit ofa Christian church. They arc to
be distributed throughout the town. one to
each of the election districts. so that every
spy shall be able to keep q watch on every
inhGbitant OF his district and report spe-
officially to PARKHURsT. In order that they
may do the job thorough each spy is to be
instructed how to make chart of his dis
trict,with every dwelling and every place OF
business Indicated. He is also to take n
sort OF moral census of the neighborhood by
acquainting himself with tho habits Of the
residents. and. more especially, he Is to
shadow all public officers and employees
and keep tho run OF the liquor saloons and
the houses of vicious resort.
The spy's function, then. is to be on the
lookout for wickcduess. Instead OF one
ANTHONY C0MsrOCK. PAEKuURsT is going
to train l.l37 young fellows in his speciality.
OF course. lie warns his pupils that they
must keep out OF vice themselves and only
watch other peoples debauchery; but what
is that admonition worth when he himself
has set them the example OF taking part in
proiiigacy and melting 1t Tho business Of
such spies requires that they should associ-
ate with the vicious. and to get into that
company they must be vicious themselves.
That was PARKHURsT's way. and 1t must
be their way. Moreover, 1t was commended
to them by great meeting at the Cooper
Union as worthy OF all praise. as noble.
heroic. and Christian. The Presbyterian
Church also treats it as becoming in min
iStcr, for PAHKIIUIsT remains in the pulpit
of the Madison Square Church and breaches
to larger congregations than ever,
These l.l37 young spies are to loo taken
from the churches Of the town. Presuma-
bly,. therefore. they will start out in the
business as fresh as young ERvINa was.
The pursuit Of vice will have the fsscins.