Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-09-10
THE ENEMIES OF SOCIETY.

The shocking death Of a young girl iu
this city by abortion ought not to pass
from attention without an increased pub.
lie adherence of the crimes which
caused so de%plorable an event The
victim was an unusually attractive per.
son Handsome, graceful, witty and
amiable, she made many friends and ad-
mirers. She belonged to a respectable
Scotch family, and vas well trained in
anu and morals. Few girls of her
age gave better promise of a useful aud
happy life. She has fallen suddenly be-
fore the destroyer, and been carried to a
dishonored grave. Not only her virtue
and her life have been sacrificed to law
less lust, but the honor and happiness
of a family are blasted. In all the dark
record of human misery there is no voc
greater than this. Shall not the crimes
that have produced it meet with cores
ponding adherence? 1t may seem a
light thing to u thoughtless young man
TO be,ray the confidence aud destroy the
virtue of one who has given him her
love, but there is no other wrong he can
commit which involves so much misery
and disgrace. Outright murder is real
" a smaller injury, for 1t leaves the
character unstaiued, aud the wound II
~inflc,s upon parental and family love
i, not half as deep and iucurable. There
i. no enemy of society to be dreaded
ike the libertine, and yet he is tolerated,
where the womau of doubtful virtue is
looked upon with scorn. The tragedy
before us should be an admonition to
parents to see to it that their daughters
are instructed and forewarned as to the
perils that sbey must inevitably meet,
and that they are kept AS much as pos
sible from the society Of those who are
uupriucipled il this vital matter. II is
also an ~admonitiou to young women not
to tolerate the remotest suggestions Of
impurity. In young meu WHO are still
pure aud honorable it should excite a
.profounder horror and disgust OF those
who deliberately betray the innocent,
and should strengthen them 10 the cul-
tivation of that chivalric reverence for
woman aud for womauly virtue which
characterizes the true gentleman.
The crime aud infamy Of the abortion
list there are no fitting words to de-
scribe. He is the ally and abettor Of
seduction, for by promising conceal
meut Of its consequences he destroys
one Of the chief safeguards to virtue.
De is murderer, for every time he
practices his horrible trade lie does II
with the full knowledge of the risk of
.N,h A-l I,ea tkAt - nSn1pae ThaFa
are professional abortionists who can
count the graves OF many victims, and
vet they move about unabashed among
respectable meu and women, and dis
play their ill-gotten gains without any
apparent consciousness that they are as
foul with blood AS if they were the price
OF assassination itself. We make no
reference TO any one accused in the
present case, for we would not intu-
euce in any degree the course OF justice
or public sentiment in individual cases.
But against the uonstrous business
itself it is quite time there were n more
decided and effective public sentiment.
The abortionist is one OF the worst enc
mics of society. To his efforts is largely
due that growth Of social vice which
imperils the whole fabric of our civiliza-
ton, and threatens to bring in a state
of corruption that would shame and
as,onish h~eathendom. Let US neither
be deferred by false modesty from speak.
ing the true name of the great crime,
nor By false sentiment from visiting
upon il deserved %retribution and odium.
Il is a matter that concerns the peace
and safety of every family, the virtues
of every son and daughter in all our
homes. We are false TO every human
obligation if we do not make u iniu-
euce felt against it.-SpringfeH Mass
Republican,