The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-02-23
z. H. MORSE, President
NATHAN F. BARNES. Secretary.

| ~OoAAH N1kOhA.-NoV. .. n. SteW8ft
had full house to listen to his lecture on
this subject on Tuesday evening. In
opening, he stated that although the ques-
lions included under this head had been
very thoroughly discussed already, yet
there were some important features which
had been overlooked. After referring to
the many evils which exist in every de-
partment Of life, secular and ecclesiastical,
aud in every age, from childhood to gray
haired decrepitude, he spoke of the folly
Of attempting to cure these evils by legisla-
ton. Men are free moral agents, int leo
tual beings, and must be Influenced through
their wills. They must be taught to re-.
speet and love that which they will refuse to
be forced to obey. Legislation means CO.
ercion, and it is principle Of human ma
ture to respond II shall not" to the COM
mand "You shall" Even with animals
kindness is employed as well as compulsion
to secure the results desired. The
management of children offers a fine field
for the observation Of this principle, and it
is in their proper training that the germ of
reform lies. The strong arm of the law is
to be invoked in after years to make
amends for the neglect of parents in full
filling their duty to their children. The
lecturer referred to the fact that legisla-
tors ore themselves tainted with the evils
which they ore desired to make laws to ef
face; and that corrective statutes
are felt by constituency the most
| corrupt of which have voice equal
with the most pure md intelligent in
the selecting of the lawmakers, and which
would quickly change their representatives
If such statutes did not remain as dead
letters. It was claimed, he said, that this
difficulty could be remedied by introducing
into politics new and finer element-hy
giving woman the elective franchise. lie
would admit that woman was morally su-
perior to man, but it was because she oc.
cupied different position and was sur
rounded by different circumstances. But
let her descend into the pools of politics
and she would soon lose this moral pre-.
eminence. There were already vicious wo-
men as well as vicious men, and even II
the beginning of the movement, when il
was at its purest, the political strength d
the sex would be far from being thrown
solid in behalf of measures of reform. He
thought that woman in her present position
possessed most potent influence, az puri.
flying and correcting by her personal quail.
ties the tone Of society. The lecturer pro-
ceeded to the consideration Oft evils Of
special magnitude which were sought to be
remedied by legislation. The first was in.
temperance. He was not certain that ont
individual had ever been made sober, hon.
est and industrious by prohibitory laws
The means for evading such laws are innu'
merable. The second Was the wrongs Of NO.
man In the marriage relation. This could
not be remedied by the ballot, which
would only introduce additional causes TO,
d'scord and inharmony. The equal d,vis.
ion Of property would prove no more effec.
tive. Women have already control of thei,
own property, right to suitable mainte
nance from their husbands income. and
the right Of dover. This change would
make love Of money the ruling feature of tn,
household, would destroy unity and Great,
duality, and would drive away all do
mestio concord and happiness. The rene
dy for this evil is true, pure love in III,
marriage. relation, the mutual bearing anG
forbearing with personal peculiari'ies
Much OF the present unhappiness come
from unsuitable marriages. The lecture,
closed with impressing the thought that re-
form lies in the education Of the people uF
to the true standard of virtue and morality
that although slow, it is the only sur,
method ana that appeals to legislation 70,
the remedying Of individual evils are moi
only useless but injurious, as they tend to
divert effort from the true method.
d "hiie there were points upon which
many might differ with Mr.. Stewart, ye,
the mainidea Of his lecture, viz: that ali
REFORMS must rest upon a correct and DOW.
erful public sentiment, and that laws moi
backed by such sentiment will be bu,
dead letters on the statute books, must meet
with general approval. It is certainly q
position which is incontrovertille, and the
sooner reformers devote themselves tc
purifying society, the sooner will the many
evils of the day be remedied and the less
need will there be fer corrective legisla
ton Of any kind.
oysters, canned goods. and a. full a as.
sortment of fancy groceries, at Boyd's.
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. :y.
/ t1FG< t}-@. - ~ 49, @%A - ~ ~ j