The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-09-07
soDoM. GoMoRRAH, CHARLESTON.

~ SoDoM' oMohItAH HARLESION
sodom and Gomorrah are said to have Zee very wicked cities. So
corrupt had they becomew C are told, that Abraham wa unable to find
en- decent men anon tn inhabitants, n Jehovah destroyed them with
We cannot speak Of this subjcctf from persona knowledge. a we lever
lived in either city. both having up in flame n smoke several
"a lived lin thu City If Charleston for sevcra years, n W e venture
the ancient cities would look like mere amateurs if compared with the
city IN tn Kanawha.
During h past few weeks this paper las published several articles
by an eS-oh1eial In these articles and in public utterance this official
has charged the city officials with some of h blacklist crimes known o
of h. Board ua o orA Ana, rs w ;iu" nmmt,,n re na nh pn0 &c S aeG rmnH1 "a m asmoss
the City Recorder with being a thief and a ir, n has dared the Mayor
to ask fr proof; he has publicly accused the Chief of Police of being a
CRATER. an adultorer. a pmp. But the Mayor las taken n % action.
general public, is hat Chief GULL is tn best friend h YER had.
Nor is this all There are rumors Of ven worse than this. Another
official a mn of wealth and prominence is said to live a life of bestial'
presence in tn city an Insult to thu purew omaohood of cha~'"~ton.
But ~ city officials have not stopped at corrupting themselves. They
have mad the people of Charleston pardccps crminis. They ave not
stopped at grating themselves. they have made III c city a sharer in the
most shameless. heartless brutal form of graft in existence. They have
used heir official o rob the prostitutes of the city. those accursed,
shameful ptnul creatures spreaders of moral ad physical DEATH, them
selves the victims of a henish social system, nd the city shares the
filthy "cre these o wrcches receive or III sale of their bodies.
Surely sodom eve exceeded this, surely Gomorrah, with Il. its deprav-
ity. might veil have stood aghast at uch besual, shameless indecency.
In Gods name is it lot enough hat society should force these women
to sell their bodies. for bread; is it 40 enough that we should condemn
les for the near Of life, shall We o roD them?
The officials of a city are the hired servants of the people of that city,
eeetedt to do their will. If tn people o a city make no protest. w the
a Sat 'n os o ans'r o" so sxa nc , continue ,hr 1.-THE them NJ, in , power, we re- m "a sun
sentatves of h people. Are the people Of Charleston willing to admit
We believe h at III latter supposiuon is true or We think that unlike
city. ut they are ignorant. sinfury ignorant. of III horrible conditions
to suppress crime are themselves consorting with riminns-are wen
criminals themselves. that the City has been mad c a partner in vice. he
WV 'ihS H" hSiN"' hNS
less human beings. n that they, by their silence. lend their sanction
foul STAIN. forever drive from power he men who have thus disgraced
her, N mark the day of awakening is lot fr off.
The difference between h public and private ownership of public ne
cessiies is veil illustrated by til bridges around Charleston. Those
across the kanawha River are owned by a corporation. Those aero
AV wh Mnea a a aitInn %f W1 as yn people. crou. no e ,o r, nn ,.,,u..
he pays nothing for thu privilege. He is a part wne o h bridge. n
it is his to use freely. OF course. in paying his taxes he las helped pay
tn cost of constructing thu bridge. and he cost of keeping it in repair.
That is all He is % no further expense.
When he crosses the kanawha River i: is a different story: Each time
paid TO twice over but he still pays. He pays for h original cot of
the COS fc construction IN costo repairs: he avs Interest," O. thousands
aries of the bridge tenders: he pays h attorney or he bridge com
Jay
h live on n side Of the river n work on the other seldom w
ors swim across thrce-fourths of a nile Of waters eparatin their
them to remit ron &C o 80 pr month from their plethora. But
what is that trihing sum to a workineman? He ca easily spare tina
amount He would &c sure to waste it in drink, or spend it for theater
ticket or jewclry if allowed tic keep it,
lcs. it is a lovely arrangement, his private ownership of public neces-
to some privatc operation No doubt there are local Captains of n
marvelon executive ability to such a worthy object. Let us leave no
stone nnrlrned to make the bridge service w East M West Char
lesion the best that can be made