The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-02-05
Written for the Star.
Filtration

Let us throw the mantle Of charity over
the faults, apparent inAscrctions, foiblss
and reckless conduct on the impulse OF the
moment, of an err,ng brother or sister, ,remen-
bering that frail humanity is weak, full OF
impcrfections, and ardent desires, auo we,
in common with others, are liable, in unguard-
ed moments to fall, or at least, speakwords
and commit acts Of questionable morality.
Let US extend to all that courteous conduct.
sympathy, and fratcrnal hand, that We solicit
for ourselves in times Of mental depression,
and in the trials, troubles and sorrows of
| life, aud aid the weak and erring by kindly
| attentions. guard them with virtuous sur
roundngs, anil stimulate them to noblcr
purposes and higher resolves, by words OF
encouragement and hope. Then shall we
have commenced the working OF that grand
problem, our Savior left on record, "Thou
shalt love thy neishbor as thyself"
| Filtration ia lrightfully on the increase,
and Is the crovning crime ofthe age as ii is
| the cause in its direc: and entsiled conse-
quences, of more misery, recklessness and
mental and moral prostitution, than all 9TH
or crimes combined; and yet 1t is but slight
ly condemned, even among the noblest
minds of the land. Few, comparatively,
seem to have seriously considered the SUBJ
sct The pulpit and press touch it lightly
or not at all, either from fear Of oifendin, or
a strange obtuseness as to its almost univer-
sal practice, and the incipent cause Of ter
rible social and moral Disaster and wrong.
1t caniot be prscticed to any extent without
workings decentralization of the physical,
moral and higher social character. 1t must,
from ts nature, be constant strain upon
the mental organism to invent, and concieve
plans and intrisues to way lay, entrap and
capture the victim. The noble mind, en-
dowed for loftier aspirations, is prostitutsd
to accomplish ignoble ends.
Man and woman are alike guilty Of this
ofense gainSt the laws Of morality and good
society. But under the present status sf so
ciety, organized on the false basis Of Unequal
ity, and discrimination in favor Of man
woman leads in Irritation, and perhaps justly
co. to make man atone for his self constituted
exemption from social odium for improper
conduct, and also, in somerneasure to restore
the social equilibrium between man and wo-
man, if not in the direct line of attack, by
contrsries, in making man expiate, and wo-
man r.joice in the misery and woe she hath
wrought.
Womsn's nominal condition is avcrso to !
Irritation. 1t constitutes no part Of tho make
up Of a trse woman. Her native noble senti- |
mellts repress its FIRST rising thoughts. She
regards its practice az unwonsnly a, unjust
to man, az trfling with the purest feelings Of
the human heart; as dangerous to herself
and society: of questionable morality; and of
a tendency that must AMI will produce untold |
misery, sorrow and woe, If conducted with
the skill and sstuteness that mind will ex-
ert under the pressure brought to bear TO
accomplish an unhalowed purpose. Woman
blooms in virtue; is adorned with modssty;
love is her pu-est aspiration, her crowning
glory; the light of her countenancc, aud her
approving smiles arc mans ehisfest delights.
She in honored and loved by all, and fit to
grace the realms Of paradise. The firt, is
an acquired character; make ~ from wrong
ful contact with sensual world In her as
sumed character abe speaks anothsrl angusge;
acts not her natural self but a fiction; is not
= woman, though wearing her exterior garb.
She suppresscs every womanly instinct, ard
noble sentiment Of feminine modesty and
grace, which are the crowning perfections of
woman in the estimation of true men, and
for what, that she may work ruin, that US
sally eliminates in prc.titution.
The society Of the openly lewd is prefera-
BILE to that Of the accomplished firt. The
character of the former is notorions and can
be avoided, or properly enjoyed, and then
declined without stain or sore, under full
control of the moral and mental faculties,
and no prudent man will ever be misled or
But with tho latter her real
character is unknown; covered with pretcn-
tious honesty and degree of refinement and
responsibility it a waits circumstances to give
il direction and developemnt In her as
sumed character Of deceit, treachery and
finessc, the beardless youth, the common
sense yeomsn, upscustomcd to the bewitoh
ing smiles and artful intrsues of false
woman, are gently led about the nowcry
paths of love, and ensnarcd by the devilish
wles and irresistible fiscinations Of the
cleaning eye, the whimpering nonsense, the
accidental touch Of hand, the voluptuous
make up Of the tlirt's every act, furtivs
glance M I simperinr tone OF voice, until
they assume attitudes, or tako liberties with
her person of questionable propricty, en-.
cOuragcd them bv her lascivious conduct, or
knccng at her feet abject slaves, imploring ,
her continued smiles and love in the future
rs in the past, when she spurns them from
her iodthcsomo presence with cold, naughty
md heartless disdan to seek her virtuous ,
,oucll; viRruors,. alg doubtful; although ,
here may have been no overt criminal act,
yct, what was once, and might bc still, the :
noble impulses Of woman, are :
to base and unholy purposes. As
, consequence, these men become desperate;
leclarc thore Ia no virtue in woman; that all ,
ire vicious, and hence, in turn, set traps to
accomplish the ruin Of innocent and unsus-
,ectins girls; thus the corruptions increase, :
adding infinitely 10 the crimpal annals OF
he land. An accomplished firt, will be the
lirect or remote cause of on amount of crinc,
Misery and woe, that it's hardly possible for {
he human mind TO conceive Of c
The brilliant career OF tho "slrl Of the
'eriod,' so graphically portrayed in the !,
'hicsgo Times Of Jan. ?, 1874, isa ftiirg a
in real life, OF this subject; and
hows conclusively that the tendency Of its :,