Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-18

not only sadly lax in this matter, but
Is shalnefully in league with this vice
and IS serving as a palladium to safe
guard 1t in its shame while 1t shares
with 1t in it's sinful harvest. 1t may
mot be possible to produce the EVIL
dence that will bring this matter to a
mathematical conclusion, but l believe
that when all the facts surrounding
this subject are weighed reasonable
minds must feel the weight of a moral
certainty pressing them to this con-
| clusion.
II anyone has come here this even
ing with the expectation that l am
going to conduct you on an excursion
of nastiness and lift the shameful cur
tain that conceals the grewsome spec
tacle, such must go away disappointed.
| am not disposed even to locate for
you the haunts of shame, that so dis
grace our fair community. The only
insistence l make is that you admit
that they do exist, and that to de-
gree that is most fearful to consider
when weerealize the eontagion breed
ling in each of these fostering sores in
our body municipal But what I shall
facts which give ample evidence that
this vice Is carried on under the pro-
lection OF and with the consent of our
city administration.
Without MolestatIon.
The first evidence I produce to that
effect is that it is allowed to flourish
openly, flagrantly without the least eff
fort at molestation. There are GER
tain prominent resorts that carry on
their nefarious traffic in the eyes Of all
Ottumwa, and they are acknowledged
to be such without the least blush of
shame. Indeed the matter Is so open
and public. we might say, popular, that
it Is permitted to flaunt its adulterous
rags in the presence of purity upon
the most public and crowded of our
thoroughfares. If there is any virtue
In secluding this vice even that small
virtue is not honored and it Is given
front seat on the city's turnout,
where all the world will see and know
1T is honored if not respected among
U.S.
Now all this is known to our au-
thorities. Our mayor has come out in
public print over his own signature ac-
knowledging his perfect familiarity
with this condition and that apparently
without the slightest blush of shame
on his part. When the full force Of
this fact is realized we must all adj
init that this thing is not meant to be
done in a corner, nor is there any dis
position to conceal this glazing spec
tacle. say that all that argues COM
| a ryift y,
this matter did not go step farther
than this 1t is enough to lay our ad-
ministration under sweeping accusa-
ton that ought to cause burning
shame, If shame were yet virtue in
it's moral constitution.
Character OF Arrests.
The second evidence I will introduce
is the character of the arrests made
from time to time relating to this sub
ject. have watched proceedings of our
police court with goodly degree Of in
terest for long time. am so located
that it is impossible for me to go
down town without passing this court
and seeing something of the lineup
from time to time on It's benches as
sert without the least degree Of hest
fancy that the arrests made from time
i to time of such as make traffic of vir-
tue are not the great offenders in the
case
They do not come from the
prosperous institutions" as we have
been taught to speak of them, but are
invariably some miserable rag of OBJ
security that has evidently offended the
powers Of regulation and so come un-
der their censure 1t is all done evil
IDENTIFY for purposes of discipline to
show recalcitrant offenders that there
is a power far above them and unless
they admit the claims of that power
and come down" In due form the ter
rors of the law will be invoked to pro-
duce obedience and proper tribute I
have yet to learn of case where one
individual who has satisfied the Gu
pidity Of the authorities has ever
come under the ban. and received the
reformatory punishment, courts are
supposed to administer. Now that of
itself is certainly most suspicious
condition of things. If this thing is
right why do we find poor creatures
dragged up from Smoky Row and
other outlying districts to be subject
to the indignity and humiliation Of ar
rest? If it is wrong why do we not see
those rouged, bedecked, pampered pet
ted creatures of frailty that sit in
their gilded palaces on Main street,
subjected to the same sort of sever
ity?
These are not captious questions.
They are questions that go to the very
foundation of this subject and unless
the authorities can show some salts
factory explanation they must lie be-
meath the damaging imputation that
they are in league with these offend
ers and share in some way the fruits
of their corrupt earnings.
A Monthly Collection.
The third evidence introduce is the
fact that the chief Of police goes to
these houses monthly and collects a
stipulated amount as a license for
their immoral privileges. The gener-
ally accepted schedule for this assess
T. - A.