The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-14
MINISTER TALKS
ON SOCIAL EVIL
Pastor Of Tiff Methodist Church
DeplOreS Plan to EStab-
IiSh New District.
SUGGESTS A RESCUE HOME
ONE PROBABLE MEANS OF soLV-
ING VExlNG PROBLEM.

Rev Daniel NJ. Helmick discussed the
social evil and the proposed moving OF
the red light district 10 tie west side in
an address 10 his congregation at the
Tiff Methodist church yesterday. DR..
IEeimick did not mince matters in his
sermon and strongly depiored the move
ment 10 establish the new district. lie
stated that il appeared 10 him to be an
attempt 10 give protection TO crime. rath-
er than to enable the eVil 10 be more
easily handled DR.. Helmick suggests a
reformatOry or rescue home for unfor-
IGnate women as an aid TO leSSeninE the
social evil lie spoke in part as follows:
Il know cf no place inr the United
States where freedom of speech is more
fully enjoyed or more freely exercised
than right here IN Utah. The press. the
Nulpit, the secular rostrum, express their
opinions fully and freely in language that
cannot he misunderstood. Here a spade
IS called a spade, and cart cart. But
for all this, my subject IS most delicate
one And lest in the warmth of my own
feelings j say something which l ought
not 10 say. or say il in language that
ought not 10 be used. or. on the other
hand. lest the fear of offending should
cause me to omit that which ought to be
said. I have committed my say TO paper
Their are several evils which a mu-
nicipahty has 60 contend with. Among
these are the saloon evil. the gambling
evil and the social evil. The social evil
seems % be the most difficult of solu-
ton Salt Lake City has his problem be-
fore 1t now and has had To-. a great many
years. and undoubtedly will have for
wears TO come. The proposition to regu-
late the evil so as u reduce il TO its
least banefumess is now up before US.
Opinions differ widely as 10 the best
methods. And while this discussion is up
there are many who would bar the clergy
from exercising their opinions or at least
would mimify their value \ gentleman
aid 10 me a few days ago: You preach
ers live too much in another realm; your
ideals are too high: your schemes too
visionary. to deal with subjects that have
baffled the wisdom OF the best social
economists of the world ! said TO him:
Possibly. Bat while our ideals were
high and our schemes visionary. still we
ministers OF Salt Lake city and every
other city come into mighty close touch
with conditions that are far from ideal
aud with evils which are not VisiOTf>ry.
The fact is | said to him. We preachers
in the course of our pastoral duties come
in the closest contact with life from the
cradle to the grave. and are familiar with
every phase of life from the saint TO the
most debased. And if a man thus in
formed is not entitled to an opinion on
this as well as some other questions, /
should like TO know who is
Protection for Vice.
THE changing of the red light district
and settling II in some other locality has
been discussed by the press and By the
people in private for months past And
now plan is about completed 10 corral
the unforttiGte creatures of the under
world in a blockade located in the middle
OF the block bounded b. First South and
Second South streets and Fourth Vest
and Fifth Nest streets. careful in
vestiga.ion n this place would convince
one that the place was deliberately
planned and built up for the carrying on
and the protection Of prostitution. Nalu-
a BILE property has been bought and a
large sum OF money has been expended,
and that not bv people very charitably
inclined. For there is nothing in the
place or its surroundings that would in
dictate that the promoters had any idea
of making the place a reformatOry. II
looks more like a deliberate plan to make
merchandise out Of wcman's shame and
misfortune than anything looking toward
their rescue. And whatever tends to de-
grade or encourage and protect in their
degraSatio.l these fallen women. to me
IS a most damnable- conspiracy against
the helpless unfortunates of our city.
Aud the man or the woman who deliber-
atoly contributes 10 the degradation OF
women or to their further degradation
after they have fallen. either for lust or
the money there is in il, is low down
IN the scale Of humanity those whom
they would debase Let me give you a
picture Of the red light st0ckade."
Here the speaker described in detail the
plan Of the stockade.
and she who enters there shuts from
her lie the last ray of hope of anything
hut hell For that place Is surely tho
entrance there.
Should Help Women Reform.
We are told that The saloon is nee
ossary evil. and that the best way 10 reg
ulate IL is TO put the license high and
thereby drive out the low dives, lessen
the number OF the good ones and thus re-
strict Ii to the better regulated places.
We arc told that prostitution Is a neces-
sary evil but those who contend for this
in this city would go TO the opposite eX-
IRENE and make their places OF traffic
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Only One "BRoMo oUININE." that Is
I ayative Promo Ouinine