The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-27
ed IL IL dificuit 10 secure the passage of a bill
against the determined opposition Of even a small


minority.
But why should there be any hesitation con-
corning the passage OF this bill? Why should
the general assembly Of Virginia delay and post
pone consideration Of so simple measure?
Certainly no good reason was given for the de-
feat of the bill by its opponents at the hearing
on Wednesday night There were statements
made concerning the inmates of the houses
suoght TO be ahated az nuisances. but these state
ments did not In any way affect the real ques
ton at issue In the law sought to be passed
Great stress was laid upsn the fact that many
petent In general and it was urged that it
would be unchristian- to drive these feeblemind-
ed people into the street meaning by this that
should the houses be closed by Law and thus
nuisance be abated. 1t would be unehristan
II 1t is unchristian to enforce the law of the
State the law which demands morality and
purity. II 1t ~ unchristan to abate a nuisance
II ii is unchristian to compel people to give up
immoral lives. lived openly and shamelessly
and 10 compel them to seek honest and
moral occupation, If 1t is unchristian to refuse
TO allow certain section of city TO be given
over to crime and to advertise to the public that
the State allows it's laws to be openly and shame
lessly violated in that section; II 1t is unchris-
tan to allow the maintenance OF pesthouse
In the very center of city, not under strict
quarantine until the danger OF infection has
passed. but to exist with barriers whatever
to prevent easy and frequent passage from this
pestilential district to the homes of the innocent
and the pure. II these things be unchristian
then the law In question Is unehristian
As The Tirginian has stated before this is
not a question OF the reformation Of these wo-
men, 1t is a question of prevention The State
had better establish home and feed and clothe
these women the balance Of their days, than to
allow this running sore to continue to exist be
cause these women may incur some physical
priyaGons. AS a matter of TACT. when the
( Kenyon" bill passed by congress without
a dissenting vote. and signed by the president
OF the United States, and the good people of
Washington city arranged to care for these wo-
men there we're not more than ten who were
willing TO accept the offer of honest employment.
lucy De0 10 other IltitS iD continue 10 ledu LHs
same lives they had been leading before DR..
bowman stated that ffty-gix Of them came to
Richmond. Some went to Alexandria, and the
rest to other cities
The Viroindn does not helieye in the persecu
tion of sinful people. bat it does believe that a
distinction must be made between the law
abiding and the aw.breaking. and that however
much we may long to reform both and
women, we must be very careful that we do not
allow these law-breakers to be center of at
traction, tempting others to become law-break
ers like themselves. The Kenyon" bill does
citizens of the community for the persistent
violation of the law Of the State and persistent
violation by the officers of the law of their oath
of Office The police In the city know of these
shameless violations Of the law. and they allow
them To- continue unchecked, The whole State
is interested in the abolition of the lawless con
ditions which prevail In our cities. The mer
and boys from all sections Of the State at
tracted to these segregated districts, and Their
return to their homes to scatter the seeds Of
disease and death among the purest and best Of
our people The objection that by breaking w
these open haunts of vice We only drive ii into
darkness and under cover is utterly unworthy
of consideration in any community whose mora
sense has not been scared by cynicism and un
belief. The same reasoning applies to every
form Of Iaw-breaking. Laws do not change The
hearts of men, laws preventive and restric
open crime, but they do not remove murder. Oh
covetousness, or lust appetite from the hearts
of men. Shall We have open haunts of thieve;
and gamblers and murderers because the enforce
ment Of the law against these crimes drive tn.
criminals from the open into the darkness?
The law Is good law Segregation is ad
vertisement The legislature of Virginia should
give to her citizenship power to break up these
haunts of hell which are tolerated by the police
of the city. and which to the amazement of this
newspaper receives the approval of persons pro
Tossing the greatest reverence for the law some
of them even insisting that law shall not b
passed prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquor
because such a law may be violated and thus
all law be brought into contempt Is not al
law brought into contempt by the open exist
encp of these protected segregated districtsp Has