The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-09
Rev. DR.. Parkhurst Scored by the New
York Superintendent of Police.
He Is Willing to Accept the Divines Aid In
Lessening the Social Evil. but lie Sayslt
Cannot Be 0bliterated.
Methods of the Preacher and His "Shad.
0ws" Denounced as Persecution.
Breaking Up Of Houses Merely scatters the
Evil and Is More Prolific of Harm than
Good-6ambling Cannot Be Eradicated.

NEW YORK. Dec. S-The fight between
Superintendent of Police Byrnes and the
Rev. DR.. Parkhurst president of the SocI-
ETY. for the Suppression of Vice. appears 20
be increasing in bitterness DIR. Parkhurss
charges that the police are connivers al
and protectors of immortality and vice. and
are In the pay Of the keepers of disorderly
houses and other unlawful resorts. He
has been repeating the charges
for month. A few days ago
evidence was furnished the police
which resulted in the indictment
by the grand jury of Dr. Parkhurst's chief
adviser, Charles w. Gardner, for extorting
money from fallen women. Following on
this superintendent Byrnes accused DIR.
Parkhurst of duplicity. and says his
motives were 10 get revenge on the depart
menr because il refused TO aid the Doctor
In securing divorce for one of his wealthy
parishioners. The substance of Dr. Park
hurst's answer to these charges was sent
out in these dispatches yesterday.
Yesterday Superintendent Byrnes pre-
pared an answer TO the Doctors reply in
which he says: az have to thank Dr. Park.
hurst for making the issne he has raised al
last sharp and clear. Ihave given him credit
before. as it now appears wrongly. from
his public uttersnce on platform and in
pulpit. for being in the field 60 help sup
press vice and crime. That is what
his society was organized for. DIR.
Parkhurst says fatty that il is not his
aim. He is not trying to suppresl
gambling or TO suppress the social evil. He
10 In the field to attack the police. As ]
say. that is new departures. His prede-
cessor, Dr. Howard Crosby, whom no one
VIII accuse OF lack of sincerity or honest
purpose. and whom DR.. Parkhurst himself
will admit to have served his city and hia
generation well, saw other opportunities,
other ends and he found occasion at once
to publicly thank the police for the help
they had rendered in reaching them.D
The superintendent then produces statls.
tics to show that while there may be houses
of prostitution in New York. there 10 not
another city in the world of Its size that is
effort OF the police Mr. Byrnes says: ''Since
the middle of April, when became super
iDtendent OF police, the police have undel
my orders, raided and closed 440 houses OF
who were inmates of them,
"a gam mbling-houses and 2S6 prisoners. and
80 policy-shops and ~ prisoners.
Perhaps we could have done better with
and his special knowledge of these dens.
Very likely, but We have not had that ass
sistance. The evidence of crime which his
society collected they used for their own
were was shown In the arrest of his chief
detective, the other day, for black-msiland
extortion. Dr.. Parkhurst may still believe
in his innocence. do not
QUESTIONS FOR PARKHURsT TO. ANSWER
THE police did their duty in closina
these houses and arresting their Inmates
There their powers ended. Some Of the oms
en- were fired; some sent to jail; some dis
charged to 60 out again in the world and
earn living. DE-. Psrkhurst has lived in
the world long enough to know how IN.
charitable it can be toward this class OF
sinners; how little it has learned of the les
son his Master taught when they
brought before Him the women seized in
adultery. He knows how 1t scorns these
women whom he Processes TO pity. Let me
ask DR.. Parkhurst a question of conscience.
How many OF them has he given shelter;
how many of them has his society taken
from the street. where they were driven by
the public sentiment he processes 10 repre-
sent, to earn their livingi BY just so many
be has removed from the alternatives of
sin or starvation he has reduced the sum Of
the evil 1t is the only way. and it Is not
open to the police. 1t Is open TO Christian
charity. If 10 fails TO take IL that, and
not the police. 10 responsible for the contin.
uance of the evil. / will not enter into a
discu sAlon of the wearIsome problem. ID
is as old as original sin. But since DIR.
Parkhurst has made his position clear. it ia
clear that / should DO the same for the
police.
"TheoricalIy there are two radical ways
TO deol with prostitution. One Is TO sup.
press 1T, the other TO license it. Practice
ally there Is only one way. Suppressed ie
can never be. Even DR.. Parkhurst will
not claim that, though he insists that the
police shall do it. License IL we will not.
There remains only middle course; com.
promise course, If DIR. Parknurst chooses.
1t 10 just that and nothing elsa conn.,
promise with the public conscience that
knows it's own guilt. as did the crowd thAs
broughL the woman TO the savior aud
snesked away. every one. when he saidi
stone That course is to thrust the evil
as far as possible ont of sight:
hide it from public view, where
ls cannot corrupt the morals OF oul
do; and that they are dong to the best
of their ability. Ii is the only way that ID
open 10 use. Ii DR.. Parkhurst knows bet
Ter. If any citizen, or set OF citizens will
show me better, or can and will aid me In
making that one moro thorough by any
evidence in their possession, i shall gladly
do all In my power TO help him or them.
Even then We shall only be turning the
ing it in the least. unless we finally and
absolutely dispose of the women that ars
arrested in such o way that they will not
find their way back to the streets. Nay,
more. DR.. Parkhurst may call 10
q subterfuge, but I know it, and
every policeman knows by cold
experience that in proportion 10
the efforts made TO suppress the evil along
the only available path it increases In
violence. because OF the failure sDok of te
supply the true and only check. TIE
breaking up OF houses of i'll fame results
in the scattering of their inmates through
the tenement and apartment houses. where
they do infinitely more harm than
before. because of their immediate
contact with the growing youth and the
example of easy living they set. That ex-
ample is o danger that Is too dearly bought
at any price. BY this do not mean that
have made mp my mind to let the houses of
Ill fame in this city alone any more than
have in the past. ] shall continue 10 do ex-
actly whatI have done in the past-to keep
the evil out the way of Dr. Parkhurst's
young parishioners. if cannot keep IL out
of his.
As to gambling houses. Just let me say
one word TO Dr. Psrkhurst. When teach-
ing and preaching succeed in making men
IL will not. Gambling thereis in New York
to-day, bnt l maintain there is not as
much cf IL in public to-day as
ever. The patrons of the houses re-
main. and they have. not stopped gam
bling. They do It now al their
clubs, in private houses. which the
police cannot reach. Let q season Of
strikes or other troubles challenge or di.
h. II.