The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-11-30
MORAL C~ONTAGION.

the mind, Of the sentiments, and pas
sions of every kind, excites similar sen
timents and passions in individuals, who
are capable of feeling them in a certain
intensity. Crimes, particularly ola grave
kind, generally occur in epidemics."
In a late article in this paper, under
the head of epidemic Decisions" we
gave a cursOry glance at some of the
wOrld-knOwn phenomena of moral o N
tagion. Since then, this treatise of the
celebrated physician has fallen in our
way, treating them not as exceptional
phenomena, but a natural law growing
out Of auses as easily followed as the
transmission of physical disease. AS in
physical disease too, the moral constitu-
ton can be trained and strengthened to
resist the epidemical evil.
Moral cOntagion, therefore, grows nat
urally out of certain causes, and tends
naturally to certain ends. We only need
a glance at the police reports of differ
ent cities, and crime statistics all over
the world, to show us the epidemicalna-
ture Of special crimes. Murder, suicide,
arson, all have their times and seasons.
About two years ago there was a ma
MIA of suicide all over the country. You
could not open a paper without seeing
instance after instance Of unfortunates,
"weary of life" who had shuf1ed it off
in various ways. Now the murder ma
MIA is with us. Sorry, too, are we to say,
that the principal actors are women.
Never before has crime been so rife
among the female sex in this country,
and we are fast reviving the age Of the
Borgias and Brinvil1iers in the subtle
poisOns which are at the command of
the fair murderesses. Themania spreads
even into remote country villages, and
the cure for the false lover, or careless
husband, lies in the nearest pistol, or
most deadly poison which can simu-
late natural disease.
The cause Of this influx of crime is
clearly traceable to the moral c%ontagion
Of the evil doctrines which are being
sowed broadcast over the land. The
mind which is not fortified by strong
principle succumbs as easily as a weak
ened frame to the malaria of swamp or
forest. .s. .a.
Even apart from startling crimes we
are all subjected to moral cOntagion.
One drunkardin a community will make
dozens. One Sabbath breaker will lead
a whole town to endorse all kinds of
forbidden things on a day set apart for
spiritual benefit. One e~xtravagant wo-
man will bring ruin to more households
than her own. Oneill-tempered inmate
in d family will embitter it's whole do
nestle life.
We are, to a certain extent, at the
mercy of surroundings. Il all the
world endorsed the moral contagion
theory, it is probable that parents would
be more careful of the associates of their
children. Most are dimly conscious of
the evil, which is done byevil company.
They call it the force of bad example,
when a boy will repeat the Oaths he
heard in the street, or a girl the malig-
nant gossip she had gathered from the
lips of some evil-tongued woman.
But il they believed there was, in these
children, a natural susceptibility to as
simulate these things and make them
their own-that Il counter-inhuence,
though it might weaken the impression,
would, in mostcases, never wholly eradi-
cate it. In fine that, like the smallpox,
the sears would always disfgure, it is
probable parents and guardians would
be more careful of the companions and
teachers of their young people. Allper-
sons would do well to ponder over DR.,
Despine's able treatise on moral conta-
gion.