Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-11-17

cency and good morals. I urge here no
other claim for it. Personal element,
as far as lie is or am concerned, is of
the very smallest consequences But
the thlng that is ot consequence is that
When q minister OF religion and a resi-
dent Ill particular neighborhood,
whose calling ANA character expert
ence and truthiUlncsS are all alike
widely and abundantly recognized,
goes TO the headquarters of the notice
III ms district TO appeal to them for the
protection of The young. the innocent
ana the defenceless against the leprous
harpieS who are hired as runners; and
| touters for the lowest and most infa-
! nous dens oi vice. he is met not only
with contempt AMI derision, but with
the coarsest contumely and obliquy.
The Bishop goes on 10 say:
am not, beg 10 say, unnnndful OF
the fact that the existence of vice in n
great is, practically, an inevitable con-
Gition oil The life of such community.
am not demanding that vice shall be
stamped out by the police or any civil
authority. This is task which would
demand for it's achievement a race of
angels and not of mon Hut L ap-
proach you. Sir, TO protest with all my
power against condition of things in
which vice is not only tolerated but
| chleldcd and encouraged by those
whose sworn duty it is to repress and
discourage II, and, In the name of UNI
Suilied youth ana innocence, ! protest
I as my people have CHARGED me to do
| against the habitual insult the per-
sisteut menace, the detiling contacts.
I 10 which day by day, because OF Tho
| nase completely OF the police of New
! York with the lowest forms of vice and
| crime. they are subject
| And i'll the name of these little ones
these weak and defcnseless ones
Christian and Hbrew alike, of many
races and tongues. but of homes in
! which God is feared, and his law rev
erenced, and virtue and deccncy hon
ored and eNemplined. l call upon YOU
Sir, to save these people who ara in
| a weary real way committed TO Noui,
| charSe, from living hell, defilins
| deadly damning. 10 which the criminal
supineness of the constituted author
iiieS set for the defense of ,Iccency and
GOOD order. threatens to doom them"
Bishop Potter in conclusion saws he
mas no methods to suggest for the bet
| terlns of the conditions: these are I'm
the hands OF the Mayor.
Mayor Van WyclS at once replied ia
the bishop by letter, in which he said
he had passed the Bishops sommun-
then says:
~ wish here to assure YOU that I
VIII exert every power which the law
mas given to right the wrongs and ia
90 away with the conditions Of which
YOU complain. and to secure a hearty
ana efficient cooperation by the police
department with all who are working
to 40 away with public violations of
law and decency.
Il stand ready at all times to assist
and cooperate with YOU in this mat
Mayor Van Wyck's letter to the
district Attorney requests him to CO.
operate with Bishop Potter and the
police department in the movement. In
Il letter to the Board of Police Com
missioners. the Mayor encloses a COPY
OF the Bishops letter and directs the
commissioners TO at once conduct n
searching investigation into the CON
duct of the two police officials whom
the Bishop says insuted the clergy
man.