Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-04
Shocking Number of Sa-
looms in Business Dis
trict are Dives.
MENACE TO THE YOUTH
Mere Children Lured to Their
Ruin-GambIerS and Crooks
Permitted to Remain.

The wine room evil, from which
Rock Island was practically freed FOR
several years, is again manifesting At
self with greater holiness than ever
before known in the city. and il is high
time that measures were taken for It's
suppression.
An investigation shows that a
shockingly large number of the
saloons in the business sec
ton of the city are nothing short
lof brothels. During the last city ad-
ministration there was strict enforce
ment of an order for the diyorclng OF
the saloons and The women. All wine
Irooms were removed and the pro-
prietors were strictly given to under
stand that they must conduct their
business within the required restric-
lions.
Gradually Returned.
Gradually the old order Of things
has been returning. quietly at first,
but as any other evil, 1t has grown
through neglect OF proper enforcement
of the laws, until today there are more
dangerous dens and dives in the
city than ever in its history. Won IN
/
places and serve as boosters" for tho
proprieJors. inducing their victims %
spend money in drink as compensation
for the privilege Of holding forth in the
| enclosures at the rear of the barrooms.
In several Of the buildings occupied by
| these disreputable saloons the second
| floors are given over to the uses of the
women also.
Danger to the Youth.
1t is not the fallen women that ara
made to suffer by these conditions, but
it is the young girls and the boys that
are lJred into the deus. An instance
| is cited OF three girls. still in short
dresses. who came from Davenport one
night recently for an appointment
with three men on this side of the
| river. An older head. a woman, ar
| ranged the meeting The girls were
| 10 meet them on a certain corner. The
men were on hand. and the girls, sup
Gosecly not knowing the place that
they We're going to. were led into a
saloon the character OF which would
| put to shame the most vicious resort
that was ever tolerated in the tender
loin Of the larger cities. Fortunately
for the girls. a Davenport policeman,
who happened TO know, one of them,
having business in Rock Island. saw
them, and ordered them to return ID
their homes at once. or suffer the AL
Tentative Of a ride in the patrol wagoa
They already had had several drinks
and were growing hilarious. One IF
| the trio of men is claimed to have
| been the agent OF a disorderly house.
and his mission was to induce the girls
to become "boarders'' at The house he
was representing. This is merely one
OF hundreds of similar cases than one
can hear Of.
Started on Road 10 Ruin.
Mere boys. falling into the clutches
Of the women Of the town who are
harborcd in the wine rooms. are piled
with drink and started on the road 70
ruin.
The Argus has refrained from touch
ing on This subject just as long as e
feels that il can. II is not a pleasant
task, and The Argus hopes that IL VIII
not be necessary to again refer TO the
low status of the morals of the city.
There must be a cleaning up. and with
out delay.
There are decent saloons i'm Rock
iSldHu, out lhSTc are nunDer WDOSe
licenses should be revoked for the sake
OF the young girls and boys OF the city.
and for common decency's sake.
Crooks LiBser Also.
The mysterious stranger" he of the
gambling gentry. continues to linger
with dndiminishing numerousness.
lending color TO the inference that ne
expects TO be permitted to resume
operations after the storm following
the recent raid has subsided. In fact,
it is stated that play" has already be-
gun in one or more private" places.
The wine room must go. The saloon
must be divorced from the women.
The crook and the confidence man and
the gambler and the riffraff must be
driven from the city.