The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-13
Vice In Bridgeport
Observer Has a Few Sug- geStiOnS by Way of Comment on Saturday Nights Affair in the "TenderlOin''

! district, Saturday night. in the Far mer, last evening. It seems to me ] that neiehborhood of the pest with which it is affected Instances of tie sort in question happen from time to time and excite only passing atten- tion. The first publication usua ly serves to arouse attention, but after a few days the interest Iags because under our splendid system of justice the offender is able to get his case continued from time to time and usu- ally gets off with a small fine or a jail sentence or both. Generally this
 class of criminals have enough money at ca to ensure their case being talk en up by a lawyer and the latter con- , siders that it is his duty to show his power by interesting the authorities
 and securing a light punishment for his client.
 This is a good thing for the law
 yer, as it makes him valuable with
 this class of clients which in industrial
 centers is continually growing The
 public look on supinely, too busy wi h
 other affairs to pay attention to the
 outcome. Public Opinion foo!ishly concludes that the case of society is
 safe with the officials of the cour s.
 The courts-lawyers themselves i manage to maintain the statute quo and look not unkindly upon the pro- position to give to their breathren in the law the best of the dicker, for after all society must be infested with these parasites or there would be no lie for goodly percentage of the legal fraternity.
 It's funny, though, how seriously some well balanced persons take these things There is in truth many sin cere persons in this as there is in ev- cry like community who believe that the wheels of justice grind evenly and that indicators are trea'e ed with respect to the merits of the case. These misguided mortals ho their nostrils in holy horror at the thought CRf a a md thank goodness that the police hap pened to be on the spot and appre- hended the criminal The fact that he is caught and there is conclusive evidence of his guilt satisfies them mentally and temporarily aroused in dignation. Two weeks later they for get all about 1t until the next like crime occurs. In the mean time the oath pledged disciple of Blackstone has secured a lay over of the case and the strings are worked to get the client off as easily as possible. Nine times out of ten political influences are invoked and in the end there is a magnificent victory for justice.
 The newspapers present the specta- cle of the accused being held for high CT court-usual part of the game and then some weeks. or maybe months. later there is pretense of a trial and the sinner is soon restored anew his despicable calling.
 Of course 1t never occurs to our re- sponsible authorities that there is law which can he invoked whereby the presence of these filthy creature in our city can be removed Every time one asks why are not these dis reputahles forced to abandon thf'r awful practices they are told that 1t essary evidence to convict. The courts, they say, must have conclusive evil dence and often Tat appears con elusive to the intelligent layman is a laEA T, legal vision.
 It, of course, never enters into the minds of those entrusted with the power of ridd'ng our city of crimin- aIs of this class that the men who own the premises which harbor them are liable in the 'aw. No, of course not. Yet it would not be a diAcult matter to prove that there are build ings in the heart of our city harbor- ing these classes of criminals owned by men who boast Of their Christian spirit and who contribute no doubt to the welfare of the Church.
 Naturally enough our officials as- sume it Is no part of their duty to rid sections of the city where vice Is known to exist and where 1t Is per mitted to parade it's shameless face, of places which may be said to be the seat of the temptation. Does any sane man who cares rap about how that lower Water street and the streets that intersect with it east of Main street for several blocks is a projer place for the chain of so called saloons that are allowed there?
 Is there any necessity for such places except the necessity that may be shown by those who have an in- terest in selling the stuff that is pur- veyed there?
 have o~en wondered. MT. Editor. why it is that the de, ant people of this city a tow the authorities to issue licenses to places that are little more ( fIa wet ne citizenship meet to plot their deeds of vice and violence.
 How long could or would such a condition exist if the law-abidine cit earnest to clean up this portion of the city? Supposing that the lawyer who took blood money to interNere with this movement was given to under stand in D ain language that he is no better, if indeed half as good, as his Scarlet Letter clientele, wouldn't there be fewer such men in the profession whose members love to boast Of as the profession upon whose perman- ence depends the salvation of society?
 What harpens the moment one of in the tolls? His pals go and brtr g a lawyer, the latter taking as his re- tainer the dirty money earned by tHls c'ass from a woman's share. In walks MT. Lawyer, the irreproachahIe mem Der of society, who goes to church Sundays and who is picked out by our social institutions to address our citi- zens on questions Of civic import He has an audience with his client, as- sures himself of his guilt. then i'm posing on him strict silence to the end that justice shall be done, walks out with his retainer and laughs. as the poor benighted police detectives try and force the fellow to admit his guilt. And this is law; this is jus tice this is hum anity.
 I feel sorry for the average police man. Mir. Average Policeman is de- cent fellow, willing at all times to overlook a fault in a fellow soiourner in this world of trouble, but absolute ly without any use for the kind of men that make a living by trafick- ing on a woman's honor. Yet Mir. Av- craze Policeman knows, to his Sor- row, that as a rule it is no use locking such creatures up for in the vast ma iority of cases the machinery Of the law moves only to secure ultimately the freedom of the gui tv wretch.
 But there are other policemen and this city is not without some of them who see no improprietv in passing the time of night with these very crtn- inals; these policemen know these men