The Futility of Moral Cleanups
By Editor
Mayor-Elect Chamberlin, of East St. Louis, announces that his inauguration on May 1 will mark the beginning of a general moral clean-up of the town. He says that day will be moving time for the gamblers, for he proposes to appoint a police board that will drive them out. He says he will also seek “to curb the social evil.” It is very interesting to note that one city after another is seeking to do this work of “moral cleaning up.” And it is also very interesting to observe that the same cities have to do this work over and over again. There never was a time of greater intellectual and moral enlightenment, and yet there was never a time when the forces of righteousness had to combat more stupendous or more stubborn wickedness. The times are ominous in this respect. Thinking people feel it and talk it. There is a significance in it, and we should study to know what it is.