The morning times., 1896-02-27
PLEADING THE BABY act
District Commissioners Ask As.
SiSianCe to Enforce the Law.
WHAT ARE THEY PAID FOR"
Result of Anti-Diyislon Com mite
interview With the TriOcrnts-Re-
port Made at Meeting of AssOcia-
tion Last Evening-TheM Movements
Appeal to the Public and Congress

The increasing interest in the anti
Division movement was clearly manifested
i'll the large meeting which was held last
evening in the Adj Writers rooms in The
Times building. The attendance included
some of the more prominent OF the pas
tors of the city, who took part in the
proceedings and who pledged their sup
port 10 the efforts to abolish the disgrace
to the city.
The meeting was OF special importance
! inasmuch as the committee appointed at
! the last meeting to interview the Commits
sioners on their attitude To the movement
! reported. This report was made by two
| members all Of the members with the eX-
! ception of Mrs. Barrett having been pres
| ent al the meeting with the Commissioners
| Rev. DR.. Newman, the chairman of the
| committee, made an oral report which
! was partly as follows: I'VE declined to
| make any propositions TO the Commission
| ers. We told them that we We're not
authorized To make any propositions but TO
| determine their attitude; ana it was clear
| to us that they thought there was law
| enough To apply TO the case, but they
revealed their condition of mind as one or
| great perpieXity, as to what could be done
| without doing more harm than good
| COMMISSIONERS ATTITUDE.
Il think they are watching what we are
| doing and studying it closely. / told
| them that it was not work of sentiment,
which was to be done hastily and purely
as sentiment; that it was a matter TO he
entered into carefully and with judg-
ment, and that the future would alone tell
| what could be done. We declined to state
any special facts, and was careful not
to say anything that could be disproved.
They said we ought TO have facts To
present, 10 which l said that this was
not an interview for the presentation of
facts, and that the facts would bc pre-
| sented at the proper time. / think it
was the conviction of every member or
the committee that the Commissioners were
looking at it as an inherited question,
which gave them great perplexity; that
they were studying the experiences Of
other cities and looking into the case, so
~ 10 see what was the best thing TO be
done.
They seemed to fear that the enforce
mcnt Of the law would leave Us in Il worse
condition than we were before.
They spoke OF Pittsburg, where the
inmates of the houses were turned out
in the night. l told them that did not
understand that any such thing was con
templatcd here. We were not so bar
barous. am sure that there is nothing
we may suggest that the Commissioners
would not welcome, either in the shape
Of law or as q suggestion, as remedy,
ard that il VIII bc given weight carefully,
pleasantly. and unhesitatingly. That, at
least, is my conviction"
Is LAW ENOUGH.
DR.. Bcatue OF the committee said that
the Commissioners needed no other law
than tie present The Commissioners ap-
peared TO him to think that theDiviSion was
in the best shape already; that to break
it up meant To scatter the inmates and
that would be worse than the present con
ditiOn.
That" he said was the labOred ar
gumcnt of Commissioner Ross. The Com
missioners, he said. have already told
us their opinion and il is for us now TO
mature plans OF operation. We need ask
them no more questions" DR.. Beattie said
that the appeal was now to public senti-
mcnt to carry out the design of the move
mcnt.
Chairman Bruen reported on his work
since the last meeting. He had written
letters 10 the President, 10 members of the
Cabinet, to the Supreme Justices, and
others named in his Instructions, but as
yet there We're no replies. In his letter
to the President Mr.. ruen simply stated
that il was the desire OF the movement 10
have his opinion on the matter, aud enclosed
Il report Of The proceedings of the last
meeting as published in the newspapers.
The Presidents attention was called tG
the nOn-enforccmeut Of the law,
Mr.. Brucn had also prepared a state
mcnt as follows, which speaks for itself:
A STRONG ARRANGEMENT.
The Division is the blackcst spot on Wash
ington'S fame rs city and the fruitful
cause OF vice. crime and i dcgeneratory
humanity in the District, and in it nearly
every law, both human and divine, is VIC
lated. The Division abuts on the principal
thoroughfare of this Capital City. Upon
this thoroughrare are situate the leading
hotels and buildings and il lies between said
thorouchfare and some OF the most FIRE
quented public parks and buildings, in
Guiding the Smithsonian Institute and The
National Museum.
These houses OF iIl-famc in the Division
are permitted to 10 business in direct viola
ton OF the EdmundS law. which is and has
been for long time law i'll this District.
These houses are permitted to sell beer
wine and liquor night and day, weekday
and Sunday, without license or even aI
application for one in direct violation oi
the excise law of the District, and gambling
flourishes in many of them.
This association has been abundantlv in
formed and the fact appears TO be notorious
that the parcel Of ground where are situate
the White House and the State, War ant
Navy Departments building is flankcd cas-
and west by houses of ill-famc and houses
OF assignaton.
The Commissioners for Il long time havt
had ard now have. absolute and despOtiC
power to permanently close these dens oi
infamy, and one of the objects of this as
sociation is TO bring about 81 desirable
result.
Upon the failure OF other means, this as
Sociation will petition Congress to pass
! bill directing the Commissioners to TAX
such action as will permanently close thcst
houses and terminate his ncfariouS traffic
IS NO MIDDLE GROUND.
Mr.. Bruen also laid before the mectin!
an abstract of the laws OF the Distric
touching the Division, and the imperative
duty of the Officers of the law in tht
premises The law was plain enough, tina
there was no middle ground, and thai
, when the existence of the houses wa'