Chicago Tribune
MINISTERS URGE SCRUTINY OF
VICE
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Church Federation Council Asks Mayor to Name Investigating Commission.
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SUMNER UPHOLDS CHIEF.
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Dean Requests Support for Steward in His Red Light District Policy.
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A committee of five ministered was appointed yesterday by the church federation council of Chicago to urge upon Mayor Busse the appointment of a committee of fifteen representative men to investigate the vice district and recommend measures for its extirpation.
Vice segregation and "moral" law well as official grafters were attacked by the speakers of the council, which met at the Central Y. M. C. A. A set of resolutions opposing a red light district and carrying many restrictions for the regulation of immoral resorts were passed and order submitted to the may. The police were scored as participants in the profits of vice in a resolution offered by Dr. Herbert L. Willett and adopted by the meeting.
The committee of ministers appointed to wait upon the mayor consisted of Dr. Herbert L. Willett of the Memorial Christian church and professor at Chicago university, the Rev. Frank D. Burhans of the Washington Park Congregational Church, the Rev. Smith T. Ford of the Englewood Baptist church, the Rev. Benjamin L. Hopkins of McCormick Theological seminary, and the Rev. J. A Vance of the Hyde Park Presbyterian church.
Steps Urged by Ministers
The resolutions adopted by the ministers’ council in summarized form:
1. Parents and teachers are urged to educate children physiologically as to the physical consequences of moral infractions.
2. Improvement of the conditions surrounding shop and factory girls, especially as to wages and the overtaxing of their physical powers.
3. Churches must become social centers of a sort that will appeal to young people.
4. Approval of laws against traffic in virtue.
5. Publication of the owner and leaser of building devoted to immoral purposes. Card bearing name of the owner and leaser and address of the nearest police station to be posted in every room.
6. Police charged with partnership in vice. Police urged to allow no electric lights outside, no music, dancing, or sale of liquor. Telephones asked removed from immoral houses and rooms. Police censorship asked upon dresses worn by women.
Applaud Picture of Sims
About 500 ministers, representing Baptist, Congregational, Disciples of Christ, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches, were present. The Rev. Melbourne P. Boynton, pastor of the Lexington Avenue Baptist church, gave an address, illustrated with stereopticon views from photographs of the levee. At the last a photograph of District Attorney Sims was thrown on the screen and the speaker exclaimed:
"What is the cure for these conditions" I say there it is in the person of our next mayor."
The picture was applauded by the audience.
Dean Walter T. Sumner of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul devoted a large portion of his speech to an attack on "moral grafters."
"I pay my respects to these moral grafters," he said. "There are in this city men and women who are exploiting the social evil by visiting resorts, then announcing lectures and talks in the various halls and churches and taking up collections.
Agrees with Chief Steward.
"You perhaps do not know to what extent this exploitation under the guise of religion has gone, but I can tell you that it is to an extent that warrants attention.
"I therefore agree with the chief of police when he orders that such people shall not be given the freedom of the so-called red light districts."
Dean Sumner praised Chief of Police Steward and support for his policy.
Dissension among the participants in the meeting as to the advisability of a segregated district followed the adjournment. Mrs. Emily M. Hill, president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance union of Cook county, expressed her disapproval of Dean Sumner’s address.
"His remarks coincided so well with what one would suppose would be agreeable to the city hall that they might have been dictated from there," she said. "We stand for the enforcement of law that prohibits all kinds of disorderly houses and not for any recognition of vice. If the laws were enforced there would be no red light district."
The Rev. Smith T. Ford said that discussion of anti-segregation plans in the meeting purposely had been avoided.
