The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-07
The Agent and His Principal.

| II Is no prclul gmcnt of the case OF PARK
| nrRsT's detective. GARDNER. to say that
| the b.ackmail charged against him Is n
natural consequence Of the example OF his
employer.
| GAl,DNER'S recent association with
! rAnKiuEST has been corrurting necessa-
rily. His moral sense has become totally
perverted: but instead of FORGETTING respect
because of his consequent degradation 1t
has proved q source OF profit and distinc-
! ton for lin. Whom the Cooper Union
! iiccting Elori,lnd PAHKHuRsr as u Christian
| hero it infrrcntiully inuded GARDNER also.
l. the principal deserved the loud cheers
with which he was greeted by that Chris
tan asseinblage the agents desert was not
less. They were both in the same boat.
Fit is pruisrworthy to provoke indeccncy
| as II means Of preventing indecency. to what
extreme may not Il nan properly 30 in the
pursuit OF that end II PAKKEURsT Is en-
titled 10 distinction Us Christian hero for
hiring wrctched women to dance naked be-
fore him. in order to prove that money can
buy such displays in Now York. in spite OF
the police. why cannot GARDNER claim that
lie is serving the cause OF social reform not
less cirectually when he blackmails aban-
doncd women by making them pay
him for pretended protection Cannot
he say that he took tho blackmail
in order TO indicate that it is paid
TO tho police also as the price OF
their tolerance? lie can excuse himself
with the same excuse that serves for PARK
HURST. that he has to fight fire with fire. II
tho principal is justified in practising prof
legacy for tho purpose Of attacking profit
gncy. why Is not the agent justified in
making use OF matchmaking to expose
Matchmaking? PARKHURsr and GARDNER
might have gone even further without doing
violence to the principle on which they de-
fend their operations. They might have
opened vile establishment Of their own.
and By corrupting the police to tolerate its
existence. they might have proved their
point in way still more convincing and
sensational.
1t is n principle. on which PARKHURsT Ia
proceeding. with the approval OF the Presby-
terrain Church and the applause OF enough
Christians to fill the great hall OF the Cooper
Union. Because Of his advocacy OF it the
Madison Square Presbyterian Church Is no
longer large enough to hold the crowds
who flock to see him. His fame depends on
it. and it having served him so we'll. Is it
surprising that his associate. GARDNER,
should use it also as his own stock in trade
PAEKHuRsT, moreover. Is organizing q
class of l,l37 young pupils to proceed on
this principle as regular business. Fit
has caused tho moral perversion OF GARD
NER why Is it not likely to produce the
same result in them? The close affinity
between spying and blackmsiling has al
ways been demonstrated. Instead OF one
GARDNER. therefore. PARKHURsr is train
ing up l.ls7 GARDENERS. They will simply
be carrying out the principle and practice
Of their preceptor. by doing evil that good
may come. II they resort to Matchmaking
when it becomes handy for their purpose.
Kighteously the two should be locked up
together II either is guilty OF the actual
blackmailing charged. PARKHURsT hired
women to violate law and decency on the
pretence that he wanted his vicious tastes
gratied. GARDNER Is accused OF taking
money from them on the prctence that he
will protect them in continuing the viola
ton. II there Is an ethical distinction be-
tween the two defensiblo in the forum Of
Christian morals. We cannot see it. Accord
ing t, the standard Of men OF the world
GARDSER's blackmail may be viler, but
according to the Christian standard. PARK
HURsTs temptation Is fully US culpable.