OCR Text |
Show A SCHOOL OF VICE, What The Times desires to say will do for parents to consider, for ministers minis-ters of the gospel to preach about, for churches contributing to missionary funds in heathen lands to ponder over, aud for the city authorities to act upon. It is a subject concerning them each, and all tho people in general. There are in the city of Salt Lake two messengor companies making a business of delivering letters and package pack-age bj boys whose ages vary from ten to fifteen years or upwards. Fully two-thirds two-thirds of the patronage of these companies, com-panies, carried on by this means, comes from houses of ill-fame. There is not a boy in the service of either concern but what visits the dens of vice and shame on regular errands either by day or night. It is his chief duty. Quite frequently fre-quently the messengers are detained in the gilded parlors err the private apartments apart-ments of the brazed sirens, where they needs must witness 1 drunken and vicious vic-ious orgies that would mantel with iliame tho cheek of mm'al adults. They must hear language that would grate harshly upon the ears of respectable men. What do the people of Salt Lake think the effect of this experience must be on the afterlife of those boys? What kiud of inlluence must they exercise upon their playmates who do not come directly direct-ly in contact with the social outcasts? How do honest parents feel about having hav-ing their children earn a mile to support sup-port the body while the soul is being jeopardized? Is it necessary to semi missionaries away from home to save unfortunates from perdition? It would be interesting to know just how much vico and crime are propagated in this way. Considering the receptive nature of a charactei still in the formative stage we feur the evil is incalculable. Now the messenger com panics are not to blame; at least not wholly. They establish their business with a view to making money, and can no more than the postofflce or other general carriers discriminate against any patron. Perhaps Per-haps they could not if they would, and they would not if thoy could, investigate into tho calling of each. But tho city authorities should take the matter in hand. They should no more permit minors to enter under any pretext the portals of sin. than the saloon or gambling hall. If boys must be employed in the delivery deliv-ery service of that nature thoir mission should end at the gate, not within it, and if they must wait for messages or answers thereto, let them wail, outside. To suffer boys to grow familiar with the worst phases of human depravity is to engulf them in it and ruin their promise and future. Will the authorities give heed to this matter and give heed to it at once? |