Smyrna times., 1871-09-13
The Sins of Society.

The public is laboring just now under sud
den and violent attack OF morality which BODIES
10 good to the wretches like ROsenzweig, Van
Buskirk, Perry, and Burns who have fallen
within the grasp Of the offended law. But
while we cannot regard the punishment of the
professors of child-murder with any feeling
except profound satisfaction, we may prOhta-
lily pause and ask ourselves whether we are
not visiting all our vengeance upon the petty !
instruments of crime, and suffering the greater |
criminals to 60 unScathed. The police are
said to know positively of at least fifty abor |
tonsts in this city, not to mention scores of
reputable practitioners who are strongy sus-
pected of occasionally relieving impOrtunate
ladies' of their trouble tor suitable considera
ton One Shudders at reflection how terrible
must be the extent of the loathsome moral
disease which employs so many vile agents in
the cOncealment of its consequences; and
it becomes a matter for serious reflection
whether something cannot be done not merely
to punish single form of the crime, but to
remove the corruption from which it all
springs. One class of social philosophers
finds the root of the evil in the merciless Sc
verify with which the world Judges female
frailty, and believes that we can stop infanti-
eide by promoting prostitution, or, in other
words, by opening our homes to the women
who have sinned as freely as to the reformed
drunkard or the converted rake. Of course
we can save the lives of great many illegiti
, mate children by destroying the sense of
shame which attaches to the bearing of an
r illegitimate child; but whether the result will
! be worth the price we must pay for it Is a
. question which the advanced reformers have
q not stopped to consider Mrs Woodruff, we
: dare say, believes that she could prevent in
fauticide by abOlishing marriage; and some OF
- the more amiable and less erratic members Oi
: the party in which she is distinguished lea
= der would cure abortion by the ballot, anC
. drive all the ROsenzweigs out of existence bS
70 a XVIth Amendment to the Constitution. A
Washington journa judges the fOunt an(
u origin of crime to be the freedom of inter
;. course between the sexes which dlstlngulShe
81 in such marked manner the social laws o
l. America from those of Europe-forgettin
y, that where such intercourse is most lealOusl
: restricted the moral tone of society Is invarls
ii bly, lowest, and sins against the marriage La
III are most common.
n What, then shall we do? An accident re
to ported In our account of the Burns abortio
* case the other day gives. perhaps, a clue t
IN the answer. After the woman Burns had bee
re arrested, detective officer stationed himself {
n her apartments to receive the patients" a
= they called. There were girls of different rank
G. of life who sought relief from the consequence
Ily of indiscreton There were young men VIII
70 wanted assistance for women whom they ha
5. wrOnged Lastly there was wife who wante
in to be spared the burdens of an honorable ID
bt- tcrnity. This was the most horrible revelatiC
be of that Cinton-st. office; yet it is revelatio
I'd that has its parallels in the experience OF a
yer most every practicing physician in the Unite
on States. The crime of abortion in respectful
ere families is known to be so common that
On, many parts of the Union the natural increa
ing of the native population has been entire
wn stopped, and were it not for immigration the
er. would be constant falling on IN the numb
len OF the inhabitants we EaVe Deen assured
led social investigators time and again that Il
to Anglo American race is actually dying out, a
our the cause is no secret. The medical protest.
off, has uttered repeated warnings, and the chur
on has spoken, though perhaps with too lit
to boldness and Freedom dreading to shock dc
lg cacy even while scourgng sim I. Z
me buue