Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-08-22

ACQUIRED teeblencss of constitution, SO
mortifyingly prevalent in our city, seems to
be showing itselfin the annoying and disgrace
full fashion of insults to women on our streets
Within the last few days we have heard nu-
merous complaints of these outrages, the
meanness of which could only spring from
the corrupt heart of some miserable, broken
down disspated wretch, who has forgotten
that the first attribute of manhood is, to be
! protector and defender of the weak or take
root in the prurient mind of some callow-
chinned youth who has never been taught
cigars, and in obscene talk about the sex to
which his mother and his sisters belong.
| TO what is the education of our city tending?
Are we SO careless about thes. things, be-
there so little home training, and so little
school training in manlinesS, that our young
men have forgotten the respect that is due
from every man to every woman, for the sake
| monwealth," shall not women be- free to walk
in our streets at any hour of day or night,
without being subjected to annoyance and
brutal insult? Shall not any man or boy who
does these things, who crawls in this nasty
sewer of corruption, be taught that snch con-
| duct is not consistent with the Worcester
standard OF manliness?
We hear of one lady passingifrom friends
house rudely seized and thrown down, and,
when her courage had frightened the rascal
away, getting to her home bruised and faint
and frightened; another lady is made ill for
days by the terror of another such brutal at
tack. A half dozen cases of such insult have
been mentioned to US in the last few days,
and that fact implies many more cases that
are not told.
Are such things to be allowed? Cannot the
city government do something to change all
this? Cannot every man do something to put
it DOWN. If public opinion is aroused against
it, it will vanish away, and women can once
more walk in our streets without the nervous
feeling that at any moment they are liable to
be attacked and insulted by some brute, who,
for that.
| We once knew young doctor in the fever
| hospitals at Staten Island, who. growing mp in
the atmosphere of pure noble home, had
| learned a true respect for womanhood. In
his dealings with the poorest, most wretched
woman who came to the hospital, this high
trait showed itself and uplifted her. The
meanest druge about the house felt its intiu-
enCe even in the casual meeting with him in
entry or on staircase, and was refined there
by. His true respect mirrOred Itself in those
poor hearts, and caused self-respect to grow
up therein, and the personal influence OF this
young man, unconsciously pXerted, was a
daily blessing in those hospital wards. The
fever at last found him in the midst of his I'M
firing devotion to others, and the faithful man
was called to higher work, but round his
coffin thronged the poor and miserable, weep
ing for the loss Of that true friend, and show
ing what heavenly benedction his life had
been to them. Let the influence of Worces-
ter homes show itself in the same way, and
shine out from the manly hearts Of our young
men, and not only would every woman be as
safe in our streets as in her own parlor, but
the city itself would be city Of refuge for eve
ry oppressed, and wronged, and down -trodden
soul.