Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-27
REPORT ON SOCIAL EVIL.

for the Ministerial association, or only
for himself when. in Sunday SER
mon, no endorsed the policy OF Mayor
Bransford with regard To the famous
West side institution but this We DO
know that If the gentleman had been
fully acquainted with the facts, his
conclusions would have been different.
Or Short argued that Il Is better To
have q necessary evil confined within a
certain narrow circle than TO have Il
scattered all over, and so It IL, II IL In
necessary evil" IL Is better to
have cases Of ieprosy confined in one
hospital, than to have IL begging at tho
way side. all through the land. There
Is no question as to that. But II cer-
tain individuals were to form a trust
20 corner leprosy and 10 exploit It az
"A business. spreading 1t by all means
imaginable. corrlpting men and wom-
en- and disrupting families, we would
say that the duty of the community 50
AFFLICTED would be to break up that
trust and let the lepers sit by the way
side, n no better place can be- pro-
vided for them.
The twaddle about a "stockade" as a
kind Of social safety valve Is sickening
The fact is that the evil is not confined
10 one place II never will be las long
as It Is permitted Mt all. The stock
ade" is only that much more of an adj
dition To- the sum total OF rottenness.
II we had a police with instructions 10
perform the duties Of the guardians OF
law conscientiously, there would be
no "stockade" and no street walkers.
The evil would be reduced to a mini
mum, for the very reason that II would
have to seek the secret corners where
only shame and ignomy would attach
20 IT, The bad characters would flee.
like bats and owls for tho rising sun
The only reason why the evil Is "nec-
essary" is. that men and women with
out conscience and without regard for
the laws of God and man. make a
business Of 1t and are permitted to do
so by officers who have sworn to main.
tain the law. That Is tho reason why
II hourishes in many OF our cities.
II ID one Of the encouraging signs OF
the time that earnest men and women
In this country are turning their at
tentlon 10 this evil This means that
II IL doomed. The war will he made
upon Il all along the line. Light will
be shed into the dark corners and tho
Ioathsome, creeping things that have
found refuge there will he driven out
into the open.
A special committee appointed by the
committee OF fourteen on the suppress
sion OF Raines hotels I'm New York city
has just made report on the social
evil, that cannot but attract attention.
The committee consists of three women
and one gentleman, and the investlga-
tion was palnstaking and exhaustive.
The report. which is very extensively
quoted In the Springfield Republican,
removes one " the most common fall
lacies upon which the defense Of in
stitutionalized vice is founded. II shows
that the institutions investigated are
not established for the purpose Of linn
iting the sins Of human passion 10 a
minimum but that they exist as cen
tiers OF IAN elaborate system which has
been fostered by business interests
rather than az a consequence Of emo
tional demand The laws show clear
~ the existing complicated order Of
commercialized Vice" II shows that
the ranks 81 unfortunate women are
not filled only with those who willing
~ seek such n nfe. "where this IL true"
the report says. there would be little
necessity for the cadet procurer and
protector who lead women astray; for
seduction false marriages. drugs.
pleasure halls. drink. and force to he
used to entice them into this life and
compulsory prostitution. division of
foes, cost OF living. and of protection
would not be used to keep them in
such q state Of subjcction."
The report makes 1t clear that in
stitutionaHzed vice enjoys the protec-
tiou OF mighty business interests that
share In the proht. that many women
are forced into lie Of shame against
their own will. that men are proved
upon by an organized system Of vice
which seeks to allure them into the
INlNiiIlfiAf Unnecessary TO us UltlnNtN~
ance.
This has been said repeatedly. hut
there are men and women who still are
Indifferent to the cancer that Is eating
into the vitals of modern society. Per-
haps some Of them will be
aroused. by the report quoted from.
~ a realization OF the fact that. in pro-
tecting and toleratiuE such Institutions
they approve OF the stimulation Of vice
by every cunning device inspired from
below. and place tho destruction OF
souls as "a business on level with 9TH
or kinds Of business. The sooner they
realize this fact the better,
The matter is ono which can be dis
cussed only in carefully guarded lam
gusec Many object To discussing II
at all But when a community. a ma
lion. is IN peril, It ia time 20 talk The
committee takes that view II urges
publicity. Tho report says:
The great engines OF political, So