"About the fringes," Randolph reminded the liberty-goers, "of any gathering on the scale of this Exposition, are apt to lurk vicious and debased elements, whose sole aim is to take advantage of the unwary. I will not dignify it by naming that sinister quarter where such dangers are most probably to be encountered. The very vulgarity of its aspect, particularly by night, will speak for itself, disinclining all but the most reckless of their well-being to linger in contemplation upon, much less actually investigate, the unprofitable delights offered therein. A word to the wise . . . or, in this case . . . hrrumph, hmmm, howsoever . . . good liberty, boys, I say, and good luck."
* * * * * * * * * *
Randolph is warning the boys not to frequent the sex workers. He is not issuing this warning as a proclamation that engaging in a business transaction for sex is wrong. He is warning them that the area where the sex workers are "allowed" to conduct their business tends to attract other people who will take advantage of any boy desperate for some sexy time action (he deems this kind of boy as "reckless"). He does not order them to avoid these places! He's just issuing them a warning, or as he puts it, "a word to the wise." Of course he realizes these boys aren't really up to that turn of phrase, tries to think of another adjective to describe them than "wise," comes up short, gives up, and just wishes them good luck. Randolph St. Cosmo is a man (older lad?) who knows the limits of his advice and the limits of his audience and simply gets on with it. He gave the warning and now, well, it's up to them to heed it.
One of the "vicious and debased elements" at the Chicago World's Fair was H. H. Holmes so I hope Darby doesn't wind up in the murder castle just because he wanted to touch his first boobie.
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