The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-10

it on the streets, and the tolerance with
which it is treated by those in authority
who can doubt that these things are de-
moralizing not only TO London life, but 10
the national life. In a country no bigger
than England what the capital is the pro-
vincial cities are likely to be, and the ham
let's and villages as we'll, to a large extent.
There is such a thing as wickedness get
ting into the air, and it is the sad judy
ment of many high-minded Englishmen
that this social vice, by it's Infection of the
moral atmosphere, is a greater menace to
England than even the drink habit.
There is no doubt that some of the pc
culiar social conditions of English life con-
tribute to social evil. Amongst these is the
caste spirit, which makes it so easy for
girls to be fattered to the point of moral
danger by the attentions of men who may
be socially above them. This influence is far
greater here than in the United States, and
it undoubtedly brings many a poor English
girl to shame. Another contributing cause
is the barmaid system, the evil of which
consists in the fact that girls who regularly
serve men with liquor and whose employ
ment depends largely upon their popularity
with men, are very liable, in spite of their
best purposes, to become too familiar with
the opposite sex for their own good. And
still another factor in this widespread So
cial decentralization is that such multitudes
of English shop girls work on inadequate
pay and in conditions which yield so little
social comfort. Speaking, too, of shops
(%stores we call them, it is a theory of my
cwn that the tempting window displays of
female fnery have their influence for evil
upon girls who are barely making a living.
In American stores the lavish display is in
side. Here it is chiefly In the windows. To
all classes OF women this show is ravish-
ingly tempting, and one can conceive that
to young girls in lowly stations. with no
money for fine feathers, it may become
tempting in a very sad way.
DEFIANCE OF LAW.
Undoubtedly, though, the chief feeder of
social vice in London is the shameless and
attractive obtrusiveness of its votaries and
the tolerance with which they are treated
by the authorities. What is big and strong
ly intrenched is likely, il left alone, to
draw recruits by the mere force of it's po-
sition. Upon the magnitude of this vice as
1t exists to-day some Illuminating deliver
ances were made recently at a great con-
gress Of the Church of England. Before a
distinguished audience, which included the
leading dignitaries of that church, Canon
jeff dealt with this delicate topic in a
manner that was both frank and temper
ate. His calculation was that in the British
isles there were 24O. 900 fallen women. In
London alone there were 60, 600, he said.
and the estimate was that there must be
at least five times as many abandoned men
In this city-some maintained ten times as
~many-which would run up the male sup
porters of this evil in London TO the as
founding total of COO. OOO. When one consid-
ers these figures, remembering at the same
time the assiduity with which these devo-
tees of vice-the female portion of them at
any rate-keep themselves in evidence daily
and nightly in all the great public ~centers,
and how little they are interfered with by
the police. one cannot help wondering what
the end will be. There are. alas, many Eng
lishmen who think and openly predict that
the end cannot be other than utter social
decentralization, issuing I'm national decay.
All this is going forward in defiance OF
laws which, one would think, ought to pre-
vent it. We extol England as a law-enforc-
ing country, and in many respects she is
worthy of our plaudits. The laws against
crime she certainly enforces with enough
vigor when the criminals are caught. But
upon vice and it's votaries she looks with
peculiar leniency, whether it be the social
vice or drunkenness or gambling. She has a
peculiar sensitiveness toward the liberty OF
the subject. especially the female subject.
Even in England, the law to be properly
enforced. must have a solid weight of pub
lie opinion behind it, and this is precisely
the point at which the English law against
street walking and disorderly houses is
weak.
A NEW CRUSADE.
To the already existing code, amend
ments were made some years ago givine
the police increased power to arrest womer
who piled their calling on the streets an
to enter suspected houses, and these new
powers were at once brought into play
The prospect looked hopeful for a time, bu
several notorious mistakes were made
Those arrested were able TO prove their in.
nocence. and supposedly improper houses
forcibly entered by officers of the law
turned out to be not that sort of place a
all. Somebody had monstrously blundered
Public sentiment was outraged at tn.
thought of pure women being dragged into
t-AC pOlNC II IA 4 up. IL
popular verdict seemed to be that it wer,
better to let ten thousand of the guilt,
escape than to make a single innocent on,
suffer, and since then the police authorize:
have become so Indifferent that the situa.
ton is worse than 1t was before the las
effort to mend IL.
Fortunately, however. there is to be an
other effort to grapple with this monster
evil. Just when it's v~otarles were PATTERNS
themselves that the field had been won. tn,
forces of morality have raised a new stand
ard against them. More than a THOUSAND
persons of prominence. representing ever,
borough in the metropolis, nave enrolled
themselves for a great anti-vice crusade
Amongst the leaders are Lord Roberts
Lord Wolseley. the Bishop of London, Lore
Kinnaird, Cardinal Vaughan, Canon Gore
Rev. Hugh Price Hughes, Mr.. H. H. AS
quith, NJ. p, Canon Scott Holland and tn,
chief rabbi Of London One feature OF thi,
new movement is the Offering of a home I,
every unfortunate woman who wants TO he
gin a new life. The magistrates have prom
ised TO cooperate in this new crusade, anC
it is also backed by Sir Edward Bradford
London's chief OF police.
1t will be directed by what is known a
the London Council for the Promotion o
Public Morality. At a recent meeting unde
the auspices Of that body. the Bishop O
London said that the Importance of thi
movement had been brought home to hin
while he was chairman so many wears q
L --~o,,1 rrrorL 90 @ho rI,-