The evening times., 1900-01-06
Moral rusades.

According to telegraphic reports from
New York, the new year is to witness the
beginning of a war against vice on the
tan this being one of the worst mora
plague spots of the metropolis Properly
/ conducted. a crusade against evil is high
Iy commendabIe enterprise, and one OF the
Z regenerative signs of the times.
The new movement il New York is said
/ to be under the direction of an ethical cul-
ture society, aud is expected to receive the
warm support of certain ministers of the
gospel. From the plans outlining the pro-
posed campaign for the obliteration of the
things that ought not to be- an effort is to
be put forward to secure political coop
Grafton in the work OF reform: and the sig
nifcant statement is made that, if poll
ticiaus whose aid is solicited do not re-
spond to the call certain unpleasant things
! involving these obdurate citizens will
ensue.
There have been many movements for the
! elimination of the evildoers in great cities.
/ and New York has had a few of them. The
]
evidence that they were not entirely eff
| cacious. although there is no proof that
| fractional salutary results were not p.o-
duced.
However lamentable il may be, it is
nevertheless the fact that wickedness will
always exist in this world in some form or
other. And, however gratifying it may be
to witness an aroused sentiment prepared
to fight viciousness in all its conspicuous
forms it is regrettable to realize that sew
eral of the crusades of the past have had
their deleterious results. While evil 10
ALWAYS to be condemned by every healthy
mind, the unsentimental student of sociolo-
ev and its CO -ordinate problems calmly in
sists. despite an uproar of indignation, that
colonized evil is much more readily con-
,rolled than scattered vice. Where wicked
ness is known to exist the men employed
TO guard the general population against lis
violent manifestations can much more read
ilv apprehend the offender who, because of
some fragrant violation, must be made an
example of to uphold the dignity of the
laws. The police force has mission, or it
would not exist. That mission is to curb
the uurulv who have little respect for
statutes or persons. Where these blue
coated servants of society are most eff
cient is, in that respect in the best gov
erned municipality.
The mission of the ethical professor or
enthusiast, as well as the good citizens who
are inspired by high moral sense to
hiring about better conditions, would seem
TO lie more in the direction of individual
effort than in an assault in force and with
banners flying. BY individual effort is
meant a crusade quietly conducted, with
generous kindness and a sympathetic spirit
of philanthropy as its working capital. A
general attack on the unruly elements OF
the population. even made by those who are
very good. heralded by many press notices
and conducted with brass band enthusiasm
and colors waving in the wind is not likely
to accomplish reform. 1t is more likely to
scatter vice than to obliterate II.
1t is seldom that a policeman's club or
a petty court Aor place OF temporary in
generation aecomplishes the rescue of
man or woman from the evil Of their ways.
Nobody was ever beaten or coerced into
being a better citizen. Nobody was ever