Cañon City record., 1900-11-01

clans with vice. The worn-out crea,
lures that have outffved their useful
ness as source of revenue turn to Ger.
tain homes before they 20 to potter'f
field, and the stories they tell would
make a blackmaiiIng politician or po.
lice official vince II they were known
fully. Go to. the Salvation Army's
home OF this kind. Its situation In
town is kept secret. no name Is on the
door, Its work IL hidden from the sight
of the curious, but its rooms are crowd
ed. and the victims that come there In
the shelter OF darkness are flaming
signs OF the results OF wide
open town There are stories
inside the walls OF that house
and beautiful home II Is and In a fine
Iocaiion--that would melt the heart of
the most scornful. The babies that are
there, and the children OF twelve and
thirteen, victims to worse than brutali-
ty, that may be found there sometimes,
are eloquent witnesses to the policy OF
infamy that enjoys money profit out
of liberation OF vice. I cannot 20 into
further particulars regarding these
homes, partly because of the revolving
character OF the subject and partly be-
cause | am under pledge TO bring no
embarrassment through political hostil-
ity to the work In which the managers
are engaged.
The poor on the East Side are the
greatest sufferers In this scheme OF
profit-sharing in vice. The Italians
and the Russian Jews are the chief vic
Tins The Rev. DIR. Arrighi. an Italian
who for twenty years has been engaged
In religious work In the Italian colony
Of New York. told me the other day
kt..s =. u.
cious condition. OF affairs among the
Italians here He snid that ten years
ago II WINS almost impossible to ind a
pincc among the nbodcs OF his country
men In this city where there was q traf-
nc In vice. Year by year the means OF
income OF the pndroni have been cut
on In this country. Five years ngo
there were signs that the padroni were
importing persons for the purpose OF
open traffic In vice. Within two years
this traffic has grown to enormous pro-
portions. DIR. ArrisbI has had COM
plant after complaint sent to the Do
lice authorities. he says. and there has
been no response. The politicians and
the padroni have formed union. IL
was thinking" said DIR. Arrighi to me
the other day. ''of writing letter to
Chief Dcvery. but have not done so.
It would probably receive the same
consideration that Is given TO hun
drcds OF other letters There is moth
Ing to be done, fear. but to endure
How wish some one would rise to re-
veal the enormity OF the terrible con-
ditions among the people OF my ma
tive country and nj ienst save the child
rcn and some OF the young womcnr'
And now who wants a wide-opcn
town? Everywhere You will hear Il
said that the people want II. and that IL
why Tammnny permits II to exist. The
people. indeed7 Certainly not the hun
dreds OF thousands Of parents on the
East Side whose children are exposed
to terrible things. Certainly not the
vast body OF good and sensible men
and women who are the mainstny OF
every community. the 'splnIn people"
Certainly not the business interests
that really count the commercial In
tcrests OF manufacture and trnde The
politicians who profit by IL, the LIQUOR
dealers to some extent. the shameless
trafiickers In vice. the gamblers, and
tho criminais-nli these want wide
open town. And Mayor Van wyck also
apparently wants II. for he is willing
that the lnws shall be violated because
New York is not so bad In ccrtnin
phases of shameless vice as London or
Paris.
Now, this ia not n question Of the sup
precision or even regulation of the social
evil. II Il pertains TO TINT II fs merely
n question ns to whether that evil shall
be hidden from sight. II is n question,
however. whether police, or other pub
lie officials, or politicians shnll profit by
1t pecuninrIly. and whether on the
strength Of II they shall have nm undue
influence In the affairs OF the nation7
Upon n foundation OF traffic In shame
and vice, upon blnckmnil and open cor
ruption, Tnmmany Halls foundations
are seen TO rest nowadays. Upon its
escutcheon is the stain OF an increased
death rate the debauchery OF the
young. the ruin OF children. the lower
ing of the conditions OF decency on nil
sides. And on the strength OF this con-
diti0n Its leaders are enabled to de-
mand n foremost place In national af-
fairs. III Mr.. Bryan Is elected he must
deal with these men. They must have
a voice In the selection of ambassadors
and ministers to other countries that
come from New York state. II is an
open secret that the national patronage
has alrcndy been promised TO Tam.
many Hall. Witness the great activity
with 1906, and ask what II means. The
question for the people OF this country
to face and answer Is whether these
men whose pockets are fat with the
drippingB Of vice and whose garments
are spotted shnll sit in the high coun-
ellis Of party or nation. What n spec
tacle 1t would he to see TINT state SEM
tor who collects the tribute from pool
rooms, or that police official who revels
In the tolls wrung from the brothels--
one man In every ten In New York can
name them both ff-hand--sitting ~
honored guests nt the White House
tablet II Mr.. Brynn Is elected win he
repudInte this alliance with NTH that
his party has made? It Ia matter far
deeper than that OF politics. 4 involves
the good name OF the nation. II ID q
question whether those who thrive ON
the desh and blood Of the helpless or
Iumuz LII - - - -.