The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-12
WELL DONE SO FAR: CARRY THE coon
WORK ON.

ability, and Intelligence, has devoted its best
services, IN unselfsh. untirinE, and efficient la
bcr 20 the bettermeut Of moral conditions in
Richmond. Il deserves, individually and col
lectively the thanks Of The city and Of the whole
state a. Virginia for its work, which has been
done quietly unostentatiously but thoroughly
SO far as II has gene It's reports have opened
the eyes et the people, n indeed they have not
surprised the police authorities By the extent TO
which the Commission has studied out the prob
lsuas embraced in its work
There has been great deal Of gossip, discus
sion and some criticism 81 the Commission, for
which there has been no occasion and no excuse
The Commission has never manifested desire
% thrust Itself upon the public and has RETAINED
consistently from any effort to put itself forward
Responding almost directly to the clamorous de
mands Of ceTain newspapers. ii made its first
report. That report confined itself absolutely
10 stating conditions OF commercialized vice as
they were found TO exist That was the purpose
fer which the Commission created by the
Mayor as stated by himself The Mayor asked
the Commission also 70 report remedies for the
conditions IL found and this was done. There
were recommended several things. First that
tie Law be enforced against the segregated dis
triet and all scattered houses Of vice, The
Mayor ordered the segregated district closed and
lie states now that the law is being enforced all
over the city "for the FIRST time IN the memory
Of man" Thai is vers we'll But what else did
the Commission recommend? II recommended
that the Chief Of Police he given all power over
The enforcement OF thls law and the placing Of
officers This may have been done, but by what
means was it done? The Commission said the
Chief should rot be restrained" Is he now
restrained" and is there any possibility that
such restraining influence can be exercised at
any time In the future If so, then the Mayor
has not followed out the recommen dation Of the
Commission. The Commission recommended the
appointment Of Morals Squad and the Chief Of
Police has done this But the Commission rec
ommended also a permanent Morals Board and
this. so far as any one knows, has not been pro-
sided for If this has not been done then the
Mayor has not followed the recommendation Of
his Commission.
Report number two Of the Vice Commission
vas made in response lie direct request from
the Mayor for a report, and while it made no
charges against any member of the Police Com
mission either in this port or in the first re
port the Commission declared that 1t would turn
over TO any properly constituted body the evil
dence in its possession The Erening Journal Is
mistaken in steting that tho Commissions first
report declared there had been "wrongdoine" on
the part of the Police Commissioners, for that
report did not in any way discuss the Police
Board
The Commission in rs second report informed
the Mayor of the progress Of its work. and gave
him list Of Of suspected houses, That
list contained over one hundred names From
the Mayors statement that the Law is being en-
forced all over the city for the FIRST time in the
memory Of man" presume that he means
that these houses have been broken up yet the
court records do not show that such number
of cases have been brought up by the police Of
ncers. However. that matter rests with the
Mayor and the Commission performed its duty
IN that report well as in the first.
So far as 1t mas gone the Vice Commission
could moi have done better but lis work is not
completed, nor IS its mission vet FULFILLED. The
facts that have been brought out have resulted
IN the enforcement Of me law. as Mayor Ainsls
important reforms for which the Commission
re believe, viii find cause to strive. The Com
mission, in its first report. touched on the i'm
pertance Of protecting our young men and young
women from evil influences and that part Of the
work. so far anyone knows, is yet largely un-
touched, although II is Of tremendous import.
ance for the success Of law enforcement. We
syfnpathize with the feeling of the chairman of
The Commission that the work has been a thank
less task, but we believe the people will support
our exhortations that the Commission be neither
discouraged deferred from completing its
work. As the Commission was created by the
Mayor, II must he his desire that the Commits
sion complete It's work. We do not believe he
would stultify himself by being satisfied with
oulx r. partial work II. Aesese,ey, fhe tusk 10