The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-04
THE ADVANCE OF MORALITY SUPPORTS
THE NIRGINIAN.


other Virginia cities ta- tire suppression Of com
mercialized vice and The recognition ny city
officials and police departments e. the plain pro
visions az the statute }aw fbey are sT ORR to en-
lorce Whether tac srvesfsasior which it is
proposed TO hold shan prove taas members Of the
aoard Of Police Commissioners Rave been dere-
lict In their duty or have conniyed at vice and
restrained the police from suppressing evil. the
paplic conscience IS being aroused, the press Of
me city and state Is stirred and police and
sther officials are giving more consideration
il,aa they haze eyef done heretofore 10 laws
wnich Rave been so woefufly Violated and so
utterly Iisresarded
For four years T.e Richmond rir0,asaa made
az earnest. aggressive and determined fight for
Statewide prohibition All three OF the other
Richmond papers both opposed submission of
the question IT. the people and the adoption Of
thar principle by the people after Il was sub
mitted We were satisfied from the beginning
that the people had tight 10 say whether the
beverage liquor traffic should be continued in
this State Nc were confident that when the
public conscience had been aroused and the peo-
pic given an opportunity to express themselves
AT The polls this groat curse would receive It's
death blow The majority Of more than thirty
thousand given for Statewide prohibition shows
how truly The TEqiniaa estimated the sentiment
and desires of the people Since the adoption Of
Statewide prohibition which is 10 become ef.
iec,iye In 1915. all three OF the other Richmond
7 papers have more or less directly committed
themselves TO lend their support TO the enforce
ment Of the Law.
The Viroiuian very earnestly pressed the fight.
before the same General Assembly that passed
the Enabling Act, for the passage Of the redlight
bill designed to make more easy the breaking
up Of segregated districts The sentiment OF the
Legislature was in favor Of that law and it WAS
defeated only by the fllibustering tactics tnau
surated by Senator Hart. OF Roanoke. In the
closing hours Of the Senate's session. But The
Fsrginion kept up its fight for morality and
against vice. 1t presented TO Mayor Ainslie and
to the Police Commissioners the patent fact that
they were not keeping their oaths of Office in
not having the law enforced and that the moral
condition of the city was suffering thereby.
Mayor Ainslie and the Police Commissioners
tailed 10 heed the advice or to respond to the
pleadings of The yirQinjdn The Mayor did
finally appoint Vice Commission composed of
representative men and women 10 investigate
moral conditions here and the Two reports sub
miited by that commission show that The Viz
gilman not mistaken ia it's view of how
Richmond was suffering through the nonenrorce.
ment OF the law Whether an Investigation il
held. shall show that members OF the Police
more eulpable II has been made plain that the
segregated district had not resulted in keeping
dens OF vice out OF the residential section, but
that there was more cemmercialzed vice in resi-.
Dental sections than in the segregated district
The segregated district in Richmond has been
closed. The police have indicated their pur-
pose TO wage upon immoral houses scat.
tered throughout the city. Several other yir-
gtnia cities have followed Richmonds lead and
ordered the closing of the plague spots in their
sities. II is gratifying to find that since me
FirgtnfaH made the fight and the vice Commits
sion made the report that exposed conditions
here, the other Hsp4pers Of Richmond which
had looked with sach complacence on conditions
sxisting in Richmond have been horror stricken
and making urgent appeals for inyestiga.
tons and the placing Of responsibility for con.
ditions which they profess 10 have been sur.
crised TO find existing
With the people aroused and the press at last
stirred up 10 realize that there must be war
lpen eommereialzed vice, there Is better and
brighter moral outlook for Richmond aud
other cities Of Virginia. We care very little
shout the proposed investigation. We have no
lore for the exposure OF nauseous conditions
3 What We are concerned about and what We shall
insist upon is that the Police Department shall
bs diigent. aggressive, earnest and determined
4 In the enforcement Of the law and the suppress
Won OF vice. In this delicate and unpleasant
1 haty they must have the cooperation OF the
I entire city government. from Mayor down, and
they must have the necessary help Of stern
81 SssstSte Ia thv ,offc"ax weff