The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-28
THE JOURNAL sNEERs AT NICE
COMMISSION

toriai columns of Thursday, openly sneers NJ
The work OF the Vice Commission and at the
opinions ami findings of the Commission con
xcrnins vice conditions In the city OF Hich'
n,ond II speaks Of the testimony which was
gathered under the direction of the Vice 'om
mission rs "the testimony Of unknown hlred
persons who came here. snooped. and peered
anout. AID reached their conclusions in
month. their interest being 10 report as much
vice as possible They are vice scouts"
There can be no purpose in such language
hn, to beiittle and to discredit the persons
who are 30 described The words hired
ssnooped ".eered about" vice scouts are
All selected TO excite prejudice in the minds OF
the reader AGAINST these unknown persons.
and the idea is advanced that the reports o.
these hired persons untrustworthy be
cause ~ WIS to Their interest ito report as
much vice as possible"
This effort to destroy the credibility of the
repor, OF the Vice Commission is based "pop
the fact that witness testified that h. @as
sure that mistakes mad been made IN respect
to some of the houses. OF it is possible
that mistake might be made in fe* in
stances but why attack and belittle the orl;
iii tho Vice Commission because Of the posi-
oility Of an occasional mistake?
No set of men ever did their work more
wisely and carefully than did the Vice COM
mission They went about their work without
heise or -four sh OF trumpets They sent 70
lAe American Social Hygiene Association anC
asked that experienced investigators he sent
10 Richmond These workers sent from
B the New York Office and did not make them
selves known to the Vice Commission hut made
their Investigations and carried their report
70 the New York o1icc. from whence it was
sent to the Vice Commission at Richmond,
These men we're not hired persons who came
here. "sneoped and pcered about; they were
moi persons whose interest it 10 report
as mush vice As possible They trained
social workers whose business il is TO ;nves
tigate social conditions and TO make accurate
reports Thei~ salaries are not dependent upon
she finding Of vice. but upon simply report
III conditions. The American Social Hygiene
Association IL not detective agency; it ia Il
rreai social association. with Or. Charles w.
Eliot as It's president and DIR, Snow as the
secretsry
But the Vice Commission called also to its
aid rho polio, Department of Richmond. and
received reports from the policemen detailed
Tor that special duty In shaping M its report
for the Mayor the Vice Commission had the
report OF the Investigators from New York.
and OF the Richmond police. and the REP ,rts
~nrroborated each other very remarkably,
The formal continues its effort to mini aize
! the recommendation OF the Vice Commission
By referring to it as the offhand and stereo
syped opinions and declarations of persons
whose acquaintance with the more unhappy
facts of city life is slight, and whose beliefs
are strictly theoretical" What a pity the
journal did not have the selection of the mem
hers Of the Vice Commission, for according to
ts editor tho Mayor selected lot of people
svho are totally united for the work assigned
them, They are men and women without
declarations They are men and women with
90 practical experience Of the unhappy facts
ps life. II The VtrDHan remembers correctly
one of the lady members is the probation officer
nf the Juvenile Court; one of the male mem
hers is The State secretary OF Charities anc
Lorrectens and several OF the members ar
ministers OF tie gospel, .who in their pastoral
work come In contact with the results OF crime
sTd poverty. and sin Of every description. The
yfrgtaaan viz not give the, lis. OF, tse anm,
ghssssioners; they are we'll known in the city
1sd certainly those who know the members OF
tIEe Gommissi " know that the Joarnqrs state
sn<nt is absolutely incorrect when it declares
NJ the beliefs of these commissioners are
laetsy theoretical"
M Ii enough to say for the present In 'pls
W the plea for the segregated district" that
]Sis<re sre oniv four cities in the United States
d 4th population Of 100000 at the present
1cae whieh sGIerate the segregated district, and
}5| n ta The Disgrace NJ yirgiaia that Nor
I'LL Il one \, these -four: and only recently
she ares MS Hampton Roads. the
fhlrt1 n s3k 10y nt Norfolk rere