New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-21
MAYORS VIEW Of VICE
ATTACKED IN FORUM
Professor jerks, Canon Chase
and Others See Hope
in Law.
LITTLE HOPE IN POLICE
Independent Civic Body for
Control of Social Evil Sug-
gested-Segregation
Denounced.

The subject OF the control Of vice and
| crime was thrown open for general dis
cussion yesterday at the third Of a series
| Of lectures on that subject held under the
| auspices OF the New York University
Forum at the Judson Memorial building
in Washington Square. The subject had
been discussed by Mayor Gaynor and
Arthur Woods, former Deputy Police
Commissioner under General Bingham, at
the first two meetings. Professor Jere-
mah w. jerks, Of New York University
who Is conducting the lectures, summed
up at the close of yesterdays discussion.
Professor jerks and the other speakers
who took part I'm yesterdays discussion
disagreed with the Mayors idea that the
best tho constituted authorities could
hope to do with the control Of vice and
crime, particularly the social evil, was
to maintain an outward appearance Of
decency and order. The Gaynor philos-
ophy that the evil Of "the unfortunate
woman" would always be with US until
human nature became chastened and
transformed, held no place in the pro-
eramme suggested by Professor jerks
and tho other speakers
II believe It is the business OF the pub
lie officials to enforce tho laws as they
stand on the statute books as far as it
is possible" said Professor jerks, "de-
spite tbs fact that public opinion may not
seem to be back OF some Of them. That
Is particularly applicable to the laws
relative TO the social evil. Rather than
allow the matter to lilo quiescent In the
face Of an Indifferent public opinion, the
enforcement Of such laws would be the
quickest and surest way to bring about
their repeal IL they ran contrary to pub
| lie opinion"
Professor jerks said he believed it
would better conditions to take the con-
troll OF the social evil entirely out OF tho
hands Of the regular police channels and
intrust the enforcement Of tho laws in
| that. respect to seine civic or independent
| body Of persons. Broader efforts to Gull
tivate moral sentiment along these lines
] In the community We're needed, he said.
Canon Chase, Of Brooklyn. TO whom the
Mayor alluded in uncomplimentary terms
| IN his discussion of the subject before the
I III Aliit Nhlh AAlhN no Idh H'Nfi NtaNANio'h
or "ranted" against the Mayor because he
did not enforce the Sunday laws about
| indiscriminate baseball and other amuse-
ments on that day.
Il have said that professional baseball
on Sunday is against the law" said Canon
Chase, but / believe the Mayor is able
to see the difference between that and
other baseball playing, and I hope he will
never repeat that story again unless ne
offers this explanation.
we are told that tho social evil Is an
ancient vice and always will be with u.s.
he said. but are we TO take 1t for grant
cd that civilization has made no progress
along moral lines. though We have adj
vanced wonderfully in many other things?
As was said in The Tribune this morning,
We should not brush the dust under the
desk and leave it there TO accumulate
and the germs 10 grow. but bring II into
the light and do what We can 20 enforce
the laws and mitigate the evil. one OF
the first things which IS most important
I'm the control OF vice and crime IS to
prevent it's commercialism. II there are
men capitalizing and making money ont
OF the social evil and other vices. it will
be a biz help to expose them and let us
see who they are"
Tho Rev. V. A. NJ Mortensen. president
OF the Society OF Inner Missions and Res
cue Work. denounced Mayor Gaynor
views on the control OF crime and vice.
and said his Interpretation OF the laws on
those subjects was wrong. He said segre-
cation was not a solution of tho social
evil. and that conditions could be greatly
improved II public officials would talk
less about how the laws prevent them
from doing their duty and enforce the
laws as the people save them to the OIL
Gals
Time and again police captains and
patrolmen in this CITY," said Mr.. Morten-
sen, have told me that they could not
contend with the social evil and pursue
their duty in enforcing the law In that
respect because Of their superiors. The
fight should be directed against the men
higher up who prevent the police from
doing their duty. Nowhere In the world
do these women faunt their shame so
openly as here in New York"
Professor Gerstenberg, OF New York |
University, and John T. Miller, a private
detective, who assisted In collecting data
for the Lexow investigation, both said
woman suffrage would be an important
factor In Graduating the social OWL.
The University Forum will hold series
OF lectures and discussions on the SUB
ject OF the relation of government 10
next month. Representative
Martin w. rlttleton will speak on Jan
uary 10, and Herbert Knox Smith on jan
uary H.