The Hawaiian gazette., 1873-05-14

Judge" OH if he who said to the &C
cusers of the woman alleged to have been
taken in the act of adultery, "Let him
that is without sin among you first cast
stone" had stood III the presence of the
"city council of st. Louis" when they
passed their libidinous ordinance, how,
like their hypocritical predecessors would
they have fed, selfconvicted, at his scath-
ing rebuke. And truly they might as
iustifably undertake to regulate and le-
galize every other form of iniquity known
to society, and to repeal or modify every
one of the divine commandments.
For whom are these houses of ill-fame
and of designation" to be licensed and
guarded, but for men? Men of sensual
desires and lewd practices; men of high
standing and of low estate; men false to
their marriage vows; men who hold out
liberal peeuniary inducements to procures-
ses to be on the alert to inveigle unsus-
pecting and innocent maidens Especially
if without parents or guardians) into their
quarters, being the way to hell and 60
ing down to the chambers of death, " that
the pleasures of fresh debauch may be
theirs; men insensible to shame, or wear
ing virtuous mask in public, while Sc
cretly indulging in fornication or adul-
terry; men who are as destitute of all true
respect for woman as they are of personal
chastity-these, yea, all of the masculine
gender, are permitted to indulge them
selves according to the measure of their
carnality. For them there is to be no
registration or espionage; no physical
explorations" no barrier to lascivious CO.
habitation. however personally diseased !;
no Identification or publicity; no brand of
infamy, as in the case OF frail and fallen
women. Yet there is not "house of i'll
fame or of designation" for which they
are not directly responsible and without
whose patronage it would not be speedily
closed The guilt is mainly theirs; for
in most cases they are seducers, and
score of them may be counted for every
courtesan. They have one standard of
virtue for themselves and very different
one for women. If one of the latter wan
ders from the path of virtue, no matter
how extenuating the circumstances, they
pitilessly misuse her, and then give her
over to damnation. But they may de-
bauch themselves, and yet aspire to res
probability, and gain it, too-regarding
the opposite sex as having no rights which
they are bound to respect any further than
they please.
There will be no limit to female prosti-
tuition while this unjust relation of the
sexes exists; no radiance of brothels
while the male frequenters of them are al
lowed to go unwhipt of justice. "Thou
shalt not commit adultery" is as binding
upon man as upon woman, and the viola
ton of this command is as sinful in one
case as it is in the other. The apostolic
admonition includes both sexes: "But
fornication and all uncleanness, let it not
be once named among you, neither filth
ness nor foolish talking; for this ye know,
that no whoremonger nor unclean person
hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of
Christ and of God" There is no inequali-
ty here; but the same judgmect is meted
out without respect of person. Let the
city council of ST. Louis make their ordi-
nance equally impartial, if they would
show themselves to be just and pure-mind-
ed and solicitous for the cause of purity,
and they will deserve to be crowned with
public honors.
But while that ordinance remains as it
is the friends of virtue in that city, and
in the state, and throughout the country
(that it may not be adopted as prece
dent elsewherel, should raise their voices
against it in thunder tones, nor cease bear
ing an open testimony until it is expunged
from the city records.
A somewhat similar ordinance in Great
Britain, with particular reference to en-
listed soldiers, has awakened such storm
of moral indignation as has never before
been millions of the virtuous
women of that island being moved to call
for its repeal by every consideration of
decency, justice, and equal rights. Let
American women prove themselves to be
not less deeply concerned or less earnest
than their transatlantic sisters in the
same righteous cause!
An Army OfJEOnlEeys.
They are coming, and will most like
ly cross the river by the rocks yonder,"