The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-06
Give Police Chief Real Control
Over His Force to Suppress
Evil. Says Report
Bureau of Morals
Recommended
Segregation a-Farce and Filming
System But a License of Evil.
Rigid Law Enforcement the
Only Remedy

Morality triumphs. Humanity
prevails over the forces of evil.
Law enforcement is indicated. 4
brighter future opens for Atch-
mond. and new courage In given all
those who strive against the
forces of evil. 4 commission of
Kirhmond citizens. conceded to
comprise the ablest elements OF
moral sentiment In the city. after
one Of the NEST painstaktng thor
ougb, and earnest Investigations
ever held I'm this any city. has
recommended In the strongest pos
sibi~ terms that the inv. against
the social evil, In whatever form,
wherever found and however pro-
teeted. should be enforced with the
utmost rigtdits. 4 further rec-
concentration is that greater pow
ers bc gtvea the Police Depart
'nent for the snppressien OF vice,
and in this reeemmen N dalton IL . WI
practically open charge that mn
due influence has been exereIssd
in restraining the Police Depart.
msnt head and his suburdfnnfcs In
the past.
The report outlines an extaut a prey,
alenee an openness and an .impudeucs
of vice that will doubtless shock into
action every sober minded organization
or individual in the city. 1t goes to
The very roots OF me whole business
of trafticking in human souls and
speaks with terrible drectness OF
things that are actually taking place
IN Richmond every day aud night with
apparentlS no protest from her citi-
zens and no action by her officials. An
eye opener is slight term to apply
to the revelations made In the report.
revelations not OF conditions for the
conditions aud their existence have
been long tacitly admittedl, bur Of
the seeming indifference To the con-
ditions Of officials and citizens.
What rs II CHIEF Importance il that
the Mayor viii follow ihe recom-
mendatioHs ct the commission which
was appoiated by HIM. and will use
MS iulles' ohdeavors To put into effect
the recommendation made. This
action on ire part Of Mayor Ainslie In
assured hr his past declarations that
he viii follow the recommendation
made ny The tnVestigatinr body and
q renewal of this statement made to
a Nireintau reporter last night was
made in ne assertion that while he
WAS net prepared to spsak specifically
until he had aigested the report that
ne would follow the platform laid
N''F'Nf - 4tit4 htIA A4fE ms s'3H1pdfEn fDT"
office one Year ago when he decided
TO appoint the vice commission. AZ
hat time Tie Mayor declared that he
would appoint commission 10 In
veStigate ehf causes Of the social evil
the conditions resulting from those
causes. and the means of removing
the conditions His idea was with
special regard to Zoe expediency Of
continuing the senli-legahzed "segre-
gated distr CT. but the commissions
report goes tor beyond that and takes
IN the whole range of social vice.
What The Commission Says.
The report of the commission In 4
sweeping Indictment Of the segrega-
ton policy md Of the lax enforcement
of the laws OF the State and city
against no, only this special district
but many branches Of Ii that are even
more numerous and extensive than
the distri 4 ;self The commission de-
clares that enforcement of the present
law is the first requisite for reform 1t
denounCes the segregation policy a.
being insufficient. and an absolute
L outlines the wide prevail
cnCe of the social evil i'm MANY Soc
tion of he city unchecked by the
Police II indirectly charges that men
'ligher up IN the direction of the
police de apartment are responsible for
me pTa NtlCal Ieg3ItZatio0 or VICE
This charge is found in the commits
sion's rec mmendatior that full power
be given he chief Of police and his
subordin ates for the control of this
evil. It being understood that the COM
mission in this (which is its pre-
liminary report refers TO members
OF the board of police commissioners
who are apparently charged WITH
responsibility for restricting the action
of the police department in fighting
the social evil
Recommend Morals C0Mmission.
Prominent among the recommends
tious Of the commission next 70 rs
firm insistenee for immediate suppress
sion OF the segregated district and well
known scattered houses of large num-
bers, is the reeomine ndatiou that
permanent morals commission be es-
tablished ana that a special morals
squad of considerable size he detailed
from the police force for the sole pur.
pose of controlling the question.
Alarming Extent Of Evil.
The extent of the social evil Ia Eich-
mond according 10 the canf1issiHHs
report. is astounding While the advc-
Gates of the policy Of segregation have
claimed that suca district would con {
fine the evil and render Il easy OF gene
troll. The comtnisxfou tindz that aniy I
two hundred of six hundred knxNfm
Iewd women r4sid@ u the p1ee@ ~