The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-07-28
Gta4ttelIiar
The Moral Of the Beecher Scandal

that II Is calculated 10 demoralize public
sentiment and shake the faith Of many
persons In those who profess 10 be exem,
pIars ol virtue and religion before the
world. This Is perhaps short sighted
view Of the case. While It Is no doubI
true that the fall Of MIR. BRRCHER, II 80
be he shall fall at last, will work injury
to the faith Of many people and do more
or less harm to society in general, yet the
publicity Of certain facts connected with
the affair can hardly fail 10 do much
good. Take for example the history oI
Mrs. TILToN as connected with the afE all
as given by her husband and confirmed
to some extent by herself, and the lesson
10 all womankind must be wholesome.
It teaches all who are capable Of reading
the story Alright the important lesson that
when married woman contracts intimate
and confidential relations with a
man, not her husband, she Is in
great peril, no odds even If that
person should sustain the relation to her
Of spiritual guide. We can hardly ad.
nit set oil circumstances in which q
vile is justified in contracting such rela.
tiOn. And yet ii ia just the relation that
weak minded woman is always prone to
seek and cultivate. Astrong woman, one
capable Of understanding her duty to her
husband, seldom needs outside counsel as
to how she shall bear herself towards him.
II, however, she should need advice the
proper place to go for it is to her or his
relatives. II is seldom that any one, much
less a mere friend or acquaintance, can
give judicious advice between husband
and vile. The relation is too inaccessible
to proper explanations and varies so pecu.
liarly in many households that no one out
OF the household can sec the facts as they
really exist. A woman OF good sense
knows, the difficulty If not the impossi.
blity Of receiving aid from consultation
with outsiders, and hence she keeps her
own counsel. Mrs. TILToN not being wo.
man Of strong mind. AS is very evident from
her own admissions, but very suscepti-
bic and gushing sort Of person, felt as
iIshe must consult her minister extensive.
ly in regard to her own spiritual needs
and the hetrodoxy Of her husband. And
her pastor, whether guilty as charged or
not, seems to have been weak enough in
his turn 10 be drawn into the relation OF
an intimate confidential adviser-so much
so that his intimacy became subject Of
Jealousy on the part Of her husband, as
was very natural, and perhaps of remark
among others. Now II these two people
had behaved themselves with worldly
propriety and taken common sense in
stead ofatranscendental view OF their du.
ties, they would have avoided an incredi.
bic amount Of trouble Tor themselves and
other people. The moral to be drawn
from these mistakes will not be lost
upon ministers and their parishioners
hereafter. So that the event that has hap.
pened,will do good.
An other way in which the affair will
do good is, that it will show that
woman's honor is pearl Of such great
price that she cannot, afford to debate
within herself for moment as 10 how
far she can 90 in risking her good name.
1t will impress upon the women Of the
land the great truth that never under any
circumstances can q woman stop to listen
TO arguments that affect her honor. The
first seDblance Of such an argument is
nothing more nor less than what the
Greeks called blasphemy-that is, an
intimation Of ill'omen. The poet tells us
that the woman who hesitates is lost.
The remark, as far as it Is truth at all,
applies to the woman who enters into an
argument as regards her honor II her
Instincts, coupled with her conscience, do
not rescue her on the spot she Is in dan
ger indeed.
Another good that will result from the
scandal is, that men will hereafter exer-
else greater surveillance over their house.
holds. While this greater watchlulness
implies suspicion and loss Of confidence
to a certain extent, yet it is a healthiul
recognition Of facts as they exist, instead
OF a blind faith In weak mortals like
themselves.
A wellknown phase Of human nature
is that we are generally inclined to place
great faith in those whom We think we
ought TO trust. We are too apt TO ignore
the ADAM that Is part and parcel Of hu-
man nature under such circumstances.
Hence cases arc continually coming to
light like the present scandal. And hence
whatever sins the BsRcHER- -TILToN scan.
dsl may finally disclose, 1t will be at
tended with some good resultS.
The Chicago Tribune Of Saturday last
makes the following observations as to
WhStitwillprobably accomplish. Among
other things
ut will check the great intimacy that
now prevails, as a rule, between populsr
preacher and his feminine parishioners
Women arc more pious than men. Thev
idealize more than men. Tho Chnrch
means more to them. They arc iIs main
stay. They are apt 10 worship God As
embodied In his servant who ministers IN
their spiritual comfort, or they hate The
devil as embodied'in the minister whom
they dislike, When Church Is divided