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39$ The Leader andSaturday Analyst. JApr...
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PTLLABS OF INFAMY. TT seems to be ono of...
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* •< Tho Ylutner, who by roixlOK poiaonB...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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¦Jmibnig-Ut Meetings. Midnight Meetings ...
of unfortunates are brought into , their degraded state by the wickedness of designing men . It is an almost inappreciable per-centage ainon-- them who have been the victims of seduction at all—and as jt is almost wholly to these that the means of rescue now proposed address themselves , it is manifest that the permanent results must be small "; The greater part have served from very tfender years a vile apprenticeship to their miserable trade . Neglect , starvation , io-norance , vice , filth , and disease have surrounded them from their infancy . They have been brought up with scarcely an idea of modesty and personal reserve ; the language to which they have habitually listened has been of the foulest and most blasphemous description . Intoxicating drink has formed the only , or almost the
only pleasure of the class to . which they belonged , and with desires preternaturally stimulated by these causes , they have , on arriving at maturity , rather taken their place in their own social order than fallen from . 1 virtue to which they never had any claim . The way to diminish the evil so far as these are concerned , is to give the poor generally better habitations , to . encourage baths and . washhouses , to support schools , and to establish district visiting societies , whose members would do something more than distribute tracts—often very ill adapted for their purpose— -and clothing , whose chief value is that it may be turned first into money , and then into gin . The wretched ; creatures who are thus going downward and still downward , have no sense of degradation ; they
are , on the whole , better off than the so-called virtuous women of their acquaintance ; they are better clothed , have more money and more drink ; and they would , in nearly all cases , decline giving- up a pursuit which makes exactly the difference in question . Again , these women are not wholly supported by prostitution they work for tailors , shirtmakers , bootmakers—and make up by such means any deficiency which tnay arise in their more gainful but vicious occupation . Few of this grade are honest ; they make frequently considerable sums by robberies from the person , and our police magistrates have more trouble with them than with any other class of the community . These women could , if they desired it , obtain regular employment , but they prefer the idle irregular life which they lead . From these circumstances it will be plain that the midnight
meetings Will do little gdod for persons of this description . Another class , more frequently brought before the eye of the public , is , if . possible , still less likely to be . permanently ^ bene-, fited . This consists of young women having a certain kind of personal attractiyeness > and who are introduced under what are considered favourable circumstances to the profession . This class is not very numerous , but much more so than is generally supposed , It occupies a position not altogether unlike that of the Parisian lorette—only the . English species is less educated , and therefore less refined . Its members are seen with jgay , foolish youngmen of wealth , and often of rank , at certain balls , at operas and theatres , at Cremorne and other places of public resort , They have
often considerable allowances ; in some cases even keeping a horse and brougham , or having one kept for them , and they live a life of idle and profligate luxury . It is not pften that they possess more than the mere rudiments of education ; they are as thoughtless as their admirers , and make generally a rapid descent to the ^?«« e . In any stage of their career they are not likely to be accessible to such arguments as those of Mr . Baptist Noel and his excellent fellowlabourers . If these gentlemen could secure thenva carriage and champagne , tickets for theatres , and a life of idleness and indulgence on the condition of living virtuously , then they might , perhaps , take the matter- into consideration ; but to say to a vulgar , ignorant , insolent woman , lifted out of her proper position , to one of splendid ignominy , "My dear but erring sister , lay aside your carand velvets
riage and take to a mangle ; change your costly silks for linsey woolsey and plain cotton ; ' take table beer instead of champagne ; and go to church instead of to Cremorne , and you wi l l have peace of mind , " would only provoke a laugh of derision , and give an opportunity of exercising some of that slang in which these young" ladies are no contemptible proficients . Another class of street-walkers , and one far more to be pitied , consists of those wljo cannot by their daily labour obtain a daily subsistence . Is it believed that any number of midnight meetings will alter the condition of the labour-market , abolish the order of 41 middle men" arid " sweaters , " and ensure a fair remuneration for every woman who is inclined to live honestly by her labour V Until this can be done it will be with little effect that good mon attempt to put down the social evil . They must first find labour for those
who are willing" to work , nnd next they must find inclination for those who are able . Po they imagine that they enn do this P Again , there are many women who adopt 0 . vicious life from vicious inclinations , and , strange to say , these are just the persons most likely to be influenced " for a while by the spoeches nnd the persuasions of ft midnight meeting . It is comparatively eney to excite them to a sort of hysterical penitenco , but when the fit passes away , old feelings long 1 indulged , old associations , old habits recover their original ascendancy , and it has been often remarked concerning 1 repentant " MagdalenoB , " thnt the more prono they aro to contrition , the more sure aro they to return to their old sins , If it wore tyue that on the streets might bo / bund many women who had fallen from a respectable and honourable position in society , then the movement might be in on equal ratio suceossful , for these are exactly tlio persona for whom it is calculated . Women who meet with persons inclined to twko a benevolent interest in thorn , and who try to remove them from their unhappy mode of life , often toll such individuals that tlioy aro U \ q daughters of officers , clergymen , dissenting 1 ministers , nrpdioal practitioners , or tlio like , hntj ft ¦ fe . w questions would set such protonnions at rest by exhibiting 1 the
much can be accomplished , but indirectly rather than directly . It oujrht to be distinctly understood , that it is to the ^ working classes we must look for this result ; working - men are the great supporters of the degrading vice of great cities . . Guilty as the middle classes undoubtedly are , they are far less so than the order immediately below them . Among them marriage ^ rarely contracted , and practically disregarded when it exists .. That there are thousands of well-conducted men , fathers of well-conducted families , aniono- our workmen it , would be wickedness as well as foll y to deny , but they form by no means the rule ; and we have nty hesitation ; n statin" -, that for one among the middle classes who deserves ^ to be branded as an encouragerof prostitution , there are at least one _
almost entire absence of education . There are some prostitutes who have been governesses , but their number is very small , probably not more than a dozen at the most , and of these nearly all are known to the police as being connected with gangs of beggingvletter writers or extortioners of a still viler description . It is believed that more than one of these makes an easy living by privately asking assistance : from men of distinction , generally clergymen and dissenting ministers * and subsequently accusing them of improper overtures , and it is somewhat singular that these are long past the middle period of life . It need not be said , that to persons of this character the promoters of midnight meetings can do no good . % But can nothing be done to dimmish the social evil ? JVVethiiik
hundred among that of artisans . :. . . , , It has been suggested that the . evil should be recognised and placed under regulations here as in France , and were this practicable there would undoubtedly be some , perhaps much benefit derived ; but after all , the benefit even in France is greatly overrated It does not much affect the statistics of health , and as ^ to public decency , we could preserve that quite as well as they do uilam were we inclined to put into exercise the powers we possess . Ihere is besides a great disinclination in England to recognise vrce , and in that disinclination we fully share ; we hold it . better to tolerate a larger amount of evil and at the same time to ignore it , thaa to recognise a smaller amount , and at the same time to protect it . The former course is an acknowledgment of our inability to make that
men other than what we find them ; the latter is ^ auctioning of which we cannot approve . These objections would be valid , even if it were . practicable to adopt here the plan pursued in I ranee , but we more than question whether we could adopt it . In Inns a visit to a woman of light character is hardly regarded as disreputable ; here it could take-place only by stealth , and thus the very first condition on which the French practice proceeds is wanting on this side of the water . Besides this , we doubt whether it would be consistent with the British constitution to subject the members of any organised class to such a system of periodical visUatinns ,. and the time has come when it is needful to defend the constitutional rights of all classes , however disreputable they may he . Lord . Campbell ' s Bill ,-. which allows a right of search for immoral publications , is in itself an unconstitutional measure , and could not have been carried had the whose rights were invaded been . less
persons odious We are not to measure out the claims which a British subject has for freedom and non-interference by the standard of his personal respectability ; this is the first step to such a rcgnno as that which prevails in Vienna , Naples , and St . Petersburg , and wo must oppose every application of it in our own land . But we would act energetically in helping the working classes to dwellings in which decency should be practicable , and virtue something more than a name . We would extend education , and try a little severity with our street Arabs . We would aid such societies as those which protect women and children . We would equalize poor rates , and we wquld leave the midnight meetings to do all tlio good in their power , and not be harsh with them when they found that it was but little .
39$ The Leader Andsaturday Analyst. Japr...
39 $ The Leader andSaturday Analyst . JApril 28 , 1 S § O .
Ptllabs Of Infamy. Tt Seems To Be Ono Of...
PTLLABS OF INFAMY . TT seems to be ono of the evils incidents to free ^ discussion , jmA X the unlimited power of complaining thereby afforded , that we run the race without reaching the goal , and often begin to doubt which is the greatest nuisance , abuses , or . the protracted abuso ot thorn . Wo beat the air till wo aro exhausted , and tjieu mty the enomv naif wo had pommelled him . Many men would rather become , like MiTiiKiPATES , insensible to poisons by their frequent ana gradual use , or trust to the reciprocal counteractions ot the various forms of the unwholesome , than endure any further lectures on , food-falsification . A benevolent despot would have done what wanted doing in this direction , as far aB it was possible , 111 about ono tenth of the time that wo have been talking about it , il in no other way by hanging out of hand some of tlio guilty , wlioin J > oaa Swift * pronounces to bo hanging-worthy . It was at once ludicrous and mournful to hear ono of the Members ot the House , wJio . tnlces ¦ nn interest in this question , utter , fiome weeks ago , a feeble hop © " that at hiBt something would be done . " It is , indeed , difiieu to understand why there has been no earnest measure taken ore tins , when wo have time to legislate on cats , dustmen s bells , mid Danei 01 The ? class of offences here referred jo is of vory long- standing ; it
* •< Tho Ylutner, Who By Roixlok Poiaonb...
* •< Tho Ylutner , who by roixlOK poiaonB in h » 8 wines , doetroya n oro Jivo 8 than any one disease In tlio bill of mortality ; tho lawyer who i > orautidna you to a purghnao which ho knows is mortgaged for more tniu » » w worth , to tho ruin of you and your family ; tho goldfemlth ( now uunkor ) , or scrivener , who talcon « 11 your fortuno to dispose of , when l » o , ! " « »« fw «* hand rosolvod to break thq following dny , do surely desorvo tho mil oivb much hotter than tlio wretch who is curried thither for etonllntf a liorso . — 'Hyaiwv , '
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 28, 1860, page 10, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_28041860/page/10/
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