The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-09-24
EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE.

IF men would dignity themselves as
men, and women adorn the sphere
made for them, and preachers preach
Christ, and not politics., and reform
ers confine themselves to their Iegiti-
mate work and not transcend the linn
its of reason and revelation, we are
confident that society would be in
more peaceful and pleasant condition
than it Is now. When the natural re-
lations of life are interfered with, and
men and women change places, and
fanctias and wild adventurers jostle
good and true men out of their places,
we may expect social anarchy to fol-
low, with all the concomitants of al
fenatiOn, heart-burning, spite, re-
venge GOODNESS, social isolation, and
the polarization of adverse forces.
We are led to make these general
reflections in view of certain social and
political develOpements. Just as
soon as ministers of the Gospel-Which
title is more complimentary than real
80 far forgets his special calling and
distinct work as TO drag politics into
the pulpit, and there speak in behalf
of some worldly society, or discuss
some political tenet as in some oppo-
sition to some other political tenet, or
attempt to bias the minds of their
hearers in favor of some legal ques-
tions-such as License or Prohibition
and In the pulpit tell their dumb
hearers how to vote-just as if they
were dumb slaves and not intelligent
thinkers--and intimate that their
parishiOners should vote as their pastors
vote; when all this is attempted, they
create a bad state of feeling in the
membership, and not only lessen their
influence as spiritual guides, but weak
en- the Christian system ITSELF It is
utterly incompatible with the meek
spirit of Jesus the Nazarine, and with
the genius of a spiritual system as is
Christianity, to see man in cIeri-
cal gown, ofticiousness upon every fea-
ture of his face, and his whole bearing
indicating that he belongs to a distinct
caste, separated from the common
herd, dashing up and down town as a
politician, gabbling on the corners of
OF the streets, seeking every oppotu-
nifty to make himself conspicuous as
an adept in law and legislation, and
watching his chances to mount the
rostrum and discuss subject which
hedoes not understand, and which
belongs to lawyers and judges.
We think also that it equally mill
tates against the good order of society,
engenders bad feeling, and actually
retards q radical, permanent reforma-
eAOAA1 anu CNCA 4CtbC1AOA BuIOHS II
further back, when women leave the
sanctity of the home circle; leave the
bread unbaked; the furniture undust-
ed; leave the beds unmade; leave the
babies to bawl and babble; leave cold
victuals or none standing on the table:
where the flies hold high carnival;
leave modesty-the croWning Jewel of
women-the sweet and winning
gracesi the delicate virture, the tender
accomplishments, the witcheries of
reserve and yelled beauty-Ieave ali
these behind; defiantly pass over into
the sphere of man, and with singular
anguiarity elbow themselves through
a crowd, look boldly in the face of
bolder men, wrangle and demand po-
litieal rights and the instant remov-
al of social wrongs, stampede the
streets and circulate petitions, while
the bread and beans are burning at
home, and while bewiIdered children
and ineensed husbands fret and scold
and transform parades into pandemo-
MUM.
Well, we have seen a elimination
of this unsexing business, this trans
cending of the natural sphere of gwo1
man, this AmaZonian warfare, these
mournful professions of crusaders,
and of those advocates of fancied
wrongs, in the explosion of freeIove-
ism and Woman's rights which very
lately occurred in the region of Brook
lyn Soon ripe, soon rotten," is an
old adage founded on experience.
FreelOveism developed rapidly, it
came out like a fungus, emitted its
stencil and then dropped from its stem
like an untamely fig. A few bold,
bad women, by preventing the use of
nature, and by transeending the fe-
male sphere, and by preaching false
doctrines contrary to nature and God,
have discouraged many of their own
sex, disturbed the relations of society,
and transformed happy homes into
deserts of desoIation.
We are thoroughly convinced thatif
some preachers would attend strictly
to their legitimate business, in
sphere where they have right to be
honored; that if women would not in
terfere with the political rights of
men, but use their influence more eff
fectually by making the home of
their husbands happy, there would be
mere pure religion than there is now,
less drunkenness and licentiousness,
less family discord, more agreeable
state of society, more true friendship
among neighbors, more love and af-
fection.
Let ministers of the Gospel preach
the love of God, let women adorn
their homes, and let honest lawyers
make our laws, and let each one exert
his influence in the proper sphere, and
then if society does not work
more in harmony than it does under
the present clashing arrangement, it
is because all men have lost their rea-
son and chaos reigns supreme.-AK-