The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-09

NEW YORK. Dec. S.-Never in this gen
Grafton have the respectable people OF the
metropolis been SO aroused regarding the
vide spread of social vice as at this hour
The demand for reform has become SO I'M
i1erative that the great political leaders
have been forced 10 tnke coSnizance OF ltle
movement
New York has long known that 1t IS not
good. but II has not known how bad II 49,
That 4 is about to learn. From IN earn
est clergyman of the Episcopal faith, IN
suited by a brutal police captain and ms
underlings while lnboring in sustained
section OF the city, come the first reveal
tons. He declares that IN almost every
tenement house on the eastern side, every
block Of which contains population
equal to good-sized village, women OF
ill-tarne ara dJInlcled, corruptinS and con-
terminating The children Of tue unfortunate
moor. This villainy, he asserts, is known
10 the police. who levy tariff on the
women for protection. the proceeds OF
which find their way into the pockets OF
officials or politicians, whose names nave
not yet been disclosed
IBID you keep any Of the money col
lected?" was a question recently put III
open court TO a police captain. NO, was
the reply; II passed it along.
To bad men a. regular COMMISSION IS
paid. and these base commissions, 1t ls
averred, are shared with public officials.
officials sworn TO execute the law. honor
ed with office paid by their feilow-citi-
Zens as men fit 10 be entrusted with the
duties of government 1t Is a starting
disclosure of abhorrent CRIME. but there II
IS in all its repellant nakednesS, calmly,
stated by a clergyman OF high character,
who Is a missionary striving to BRING
about better and purer conditions, not IN
China or Africa or India, or among the
cannibals Of the hslhnds of the tar-aWaE
1ropic seas but in district OF Manhattan
Island on which stands one OF the great
est cities that nineteenth century ciTlllza-
ton has been able to erect
THE REMEDY
And the remedy for all this evil2 1t is
assuredly coming. The conscience OF the
community has been awakened and not
only that it has been spurred into ener-
Eetic action Bishop Potter set the bail
of reform in motion Every other church
IS preparing 10 fall into line and behind
those forces that, united, are Irresistible,
come the great commercial bodies like the
Chamber OF Commerce
The problem TO be solved IS mome11-
tous one. DR.. Parkhurst led the first
assault His sincerity cannot be ques-
toned out the consensus of opinion now
IS that the results Of his vigorous crusade
are not what We're expected lie scat
tered an evil without cutting off a sin
gle one Of its roots.
Social reform is the vital question at
The present time, and it is of supreme
interest not alone TO this metropolis. but
10 all the great cities of the Union Seq
regDtion of this class of people. if they
cannot be driven out of existence, is one
of the remedies in contemplation That
means in a certain sense governmental
recognition the bare suggestion OF which
at once arou.5es intense antagonis1n in cir
cles whose cooperation is. OF supreme i'm
portance and without whose aid nothing
can ne accomplished At all events, 1t is
certain that drastic legislation on the
subject will be enacted by the next Legs
lature, and as a guide to that legislation
The experience Of other great cities and
The systems that obtain in them are COM
ing within the range of discussion. In tbs
connection our letter from Paris will be
read with supreme interest