Evening journal., 1898-03-09
THE PHILADELPHIA PAREHURSTS
THE PROPOSED CRUSADE AGAINST
VICE IN GENERAL AND HOUSES
OF ILL-FANIE IN PARTICULAR.

NIAiA IN AflIANLAiefAAA tAANAt lAO1hSA13
OF ILL-FANIE IN PARTICULAR.
To the Editor Of the Evening Journal
Sir: The ministerial element Of Phil |
adelphia, some of the members of
which have recently been face to face
with vice in it's more alluring form,
propose to form a sort of crusade, the
object of which is TO close each and
every house Of ill-fame within the city
precincts of Philadelphia. This is, in
deed, a leyiathan undertaking. The
members of this prospective crusade
against vice are reputable men. and
they mean well. There can be no
doubt, whatever, about that. And there
is not the least question that, in amoral
L sense, their proposed determination to
exterminate all such places is worthy
Of being crowned with all success, were
0hat success at all possible and advisa-
be. But ii is, perhaps, more than
probable that the zeal of these men
| blinds their discretion. In fact, they
seem to have forgotten, in their pro
| posed determination to close the doors
Of these houses of ill-fame, the wisdom
| Of a certain Pauline doctrine, a doc
trine which says in so many words:
IAN things may be lawful, but all
1 bhings may not be eXpedient." That
1 doctrine may, perhaps, have its appli-
cation right here.
In relating through the press, for
i The delectatiOn of the public, the sala-
l cious scenes CT icentiousness and de-
bauchery, scenes Of which they were
the voluntary witnesses at certain
houses of evil repute, these ministers
/ of the gosepl only related facts of
which almost every person is fully cog
infant, cognizant either by hearsay or
personal experience. The changes are
seldom rung ON this subject. a false
and absurdly prudish delicacy taboo
ing and banishing 1t from debatable
ground. These prospective crusaders,
however, when dealing with this ques-
tion. do not cut deep enough. They
have merely stated or seen that which
almost everyone either knows or has
seen; but they have failed to state or
see in the existence of such places the
least element of necessity. Hence
/ their argument is exceedingly light
weight in character and exposes the
| weak spcts in their armOr Of attack
These well-meaning pulpiteers have
merely given to the public the details
| of their perhaps questionable and i'll
n uuNlctu NlclA0 ~ GlAuNl lAll2 vi llAdl
| House OF ill-f5nne "'
we believe that there WALL be but few
Intelligent -dissenters when we say that
houses Of il-fame must ever be cata-
| logued with other, but no less neces-
sary. evils. So long as human nature
Is what Ii is, then so long must these
places exist to play the same part 10 a
large contingent of the worlds pOpula-
ton as that played by the safety-valve
l to the boiler or the exhaust pipe tC
some simple or complex piece of ma
=, | chinery, The only possible or feasible
| manner in which to deal with houses
of ill-fame Is to restrict them, restrict
/ | them numerically, thereby bringing
| within a narrower compass their bane-
; | full influence. That is, we believe, tht
| only practical solution of this sOcia
Il problem. In some countries thesg
houses are licensed, periodically in.
: ] spected and under the strict supervi
. sion Of the municipal government. W.
/. are not so sure but what this plan 1,
n the wisest that could be formulated
. Sickly sentimentality Will doubtless
urge the plea that plan so formulated
=. savors too much of legalized vice; ant
to the Engiish-spealdng mind a min,
. that is exceedingly obtuse on some sub
! iects, such a plan is more or less alb
! | horrent. But then we must look fact
q and conditions in the face, not get be
o hind them. Moral suasion, when deal
g ing with this or any other species o
i vice, is all very WE'LL it is most excel
n lent But moral suasion has its limi
tations inasmuch as it cannot recon
a struct humanity, with all its lapses
4 upon any other lines than those upol
i f.T IL. -
"a Of moral suasion can altogether exOr
else the animal desires permeatin
81 more or less each component part of tn
4 edifce called Man, an edifice not mad
\ by the mortal hands, but of Divine con
10 ception and construction.
IA IL is useless for the ministerial ele
n ment or, for the matter of that, an
g other element, to inveigh any existin
evil unless remedial measures, meas
ures OF a practicable nature, can b
suggested as being possible to counter
act or altogether abolish that evil. LC
lie | every house of ill-fame be suppresse
n by process Of law; raze every sue
y habitation to the ground: make IL a
IS together impossible for the nymph d
re pave to ply her miasmatic vocation
he prove TO the world that the professions
in strange woman" no longer exists an
la, that prostitution. with its transfer
Is. but enticing allurements. is a lost art
n do this, do more than all this, and whs
in would be the result of such heroic le;
he islation? One need not nose as
'e- prohpet in order to foretell the IL
'st evitable and disastrous result of an
M. such stringent measures in behalf
n the suppression of the major or card
Is nal social vice Your fashionable ma
he of the world. with all the blandisl
en- ments of his kind. would indulge in n
M refinement OF vice and gain 2. succe
cir sion of high-class. immoral victorie
m, The lihertine would prey. and prev wi,