The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-06-07
SUMTER, S. c., SATURDAY. JUNE 7 1919
4 MODERN SODOM.
CHARLESTON PEOPLE TELL
STORY OF CITY'S SHAME.
Social Service League Protest to May
or Grace and Specify Particular
Cases of Vice and Degradation and
LawleSSneSS.

The revelations of the vice condi-.
ton in Charleston, made by the So
cial Service League of that city in
its committees letter to Mayor
Grace, urging him to take the initiat-
i've by enforcing the laws, exceed
anything we have seen or read Of any
other city, and would be incredi-
bic except for the responsibility of the
gentlemen making them, and but for
the mayors admission of the substan-
tial truths of the committees state
ments.
In view of the two documents made
public-the committees letter and
Mayor Grace's answer to( tit would
seem that Charleston had sowed the
wind and is reaping the whirlwind.
The high water mark of vice appears
to have been reached, and the neces-
sity for house cleaning, to be imper-
ative. The committee appeals to the
mayor ito lead i'm a movement which
will at least give our young men and
boys and young women and girls an
even chance to be decent and to do
right" declaring that if the city au-
thorities cannot remedy the situa-
ton, ii will be but a short time before
citizens Go SO in no uncertain man
ner."
In his answer, Mayor Grace prac-
tcally throw up his hands. and con-
fesses his helplessness to enforce the
laws. Not only this. but he goes fur
ther and declares it to be his settled
policy not to enforce the laws against
violators of n certain class even if he
could do so. He believes it to be his
duty in fact to nullify the law he Is
sworn to uphold
The committee in its letter calls
the mayors attention ito the remark :
able Increase of blind tigers" that
are with unprecedented "braZenness'
have established themselves in
the quiet residence sections Of the
city; to the full-hedged gambling
houses which Charleston has the
prestige" of being among the few
cities in the country to tolerate; to
the presence of "slot machines
which even children are allowed to
play making them the kindergarten
for full fiedged gambling;" to the
dice throwing in cigar stores: to
the regular lottery drawing conduct
ed at places by which the school chill
dren pass from day to day; to the So
clal clubs where high class law break
ers morali2e on the viciousness Of
the commoner sort; TO the existence
in supposedly respectable sections of
the city OF assignation houses =
u real menace to the morals of the
city and a feeder to the white slave
of the tenderloin;" to the fact that
since the advent of racing Charleston
enjoys the distinction OF having streer
walkers and her tenderloin has ex-
panded recently to its greatest de-
gree of growth" to the braZen ef-
frontery of this element" as instanced
In the advertising of one lewd house
among the high school students and
other boys by the device of a match
box. hundreds Of which had been
handed them; to the dsgraceful us
es to which the public parks are be-
ing put; to the fact that ladies have
not only been followed, but insulted
on Such prominent streets as King
street by men who never saw them
before or at last whom the ladies
never saw before" that pool rooms
nave been opened and frequented by
Doys as well as men, constituting
schools for vice of every sort. and
mat "literally scores of ordinarily
honest young men and women are
turning crooks through this agency"