Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-08-14
SELF-RELIANOE.

| SELF-RELIANOE.
EDITOR STANDARD: When I "spoke
in meeting" last night, I did so for the
purpose of starting a new idea, that
its influence might counteract the old
one which was reiterated by Brother
York, and has been reiterated ever since
the day when Adam, to screen himself
from blame, and avoid the responsible
| ity of his own act, tried to throw the
blame on Eve and make that woman, re-
sponsible for the sins of man. Did Adam
by this mean subterfuge avoid the con-
sequences of his sin /? No! neither will
you young man. 1t is time this false
idea was exploded. 1t is time men were
taught to feel and know that they are
responsible for their own acts, just as
much so as women are for theirs. No
one teaches women that they can make
scapegoats for their sins. To teach
men that they caunot withstand the
temptation to do evil unless they are
upheld by women, is pernicious in
the extreme. We have sad examples Of
this everywhere around us: men and
boys going down to destruction because
they are not taught to abstain from evil
from principle. Look at men in. the
mines, they are away from the cares and
influences of women; how fearfully the
baneful influences of this teaching man
ifests itself. Instead of living true and
noble lives, because they have been
taught to never stiltify their their man
hood, nor lower their self-respect; they
allow their passions and appetites to
run riot, trying to silence the inward
monitor by saying, "I can't stand alone!
I have no woman, with her gentle in
fiuences by my side, to hold me- up. I
am not expected to regulate my life by
moral principle" and so on they go to
destruction-all the time blaming wom-
an for their fall, and trying to excuse
themselves by saying, =" If we had the
society of women we would live better
lives" But do theyp Yes, ostensibly
they do, but not really. The evil Of
this teaching manifests itself among
the men of our most populous cities,
as we'll as in the the sparsely settled
parts of our country. True, the re-
straint of society prevents the same
open indulgence as in the mines, where
this restraint does not exist, but night
after night these onslaught men will
sneak into the saloons, gambling bells,
brothels, and other places OF vice and
debauchery, thinking if they can only
keep it from mother, wife, sister, and
sweetheart, it is no matter how much
their manhood and self-respect is
crushed out. Young man, don't do
anything that will lower your own SELF
respect. Let us look at the other mode
of teaching: Instead of telling young
men to look for support to the young
women; and telling the young women,
on you rests the responsibility of the
acts of these young men, whether they
be good or evil; they are not expected
to have any moral principle of their
own, mo selfhood, no manhood, no re-
sponsibility for their own acts, their
blood will he required at your hands;
if, instead of this, you say, young man,
you are free and responsible being;
you are endowed with moral principle,
and consciousness of what is right
and wrong; you have selfhood, man
hood, self-respect, to cultivate and
build up; with you lies the choice
whether you will make yourself noble,
virtuous and pure man, or the reverse;
and if man says to himself, will not
drink, I will not gamble; I will not de-
bauch my soul and body with licentious
indulgences, and does it from principle,
all the persuasions of men, the menaces
of devils, and the Establishments OF
women, will not cause him to sin. He
will live true life, If all around him
ain, because he acts from moral princi-
pie. This is the teaching men need.
Moral principle. The dare to do right
from principle-selfhood, manhood and
powsr stand alone.
1 do not ignore influences, they are
potent engines either for good or evil.
Every one exerts an influence on every
other one, but we should never yield
our selfhood to the influence of another,
SO far as to do an act for which our
highest munitions condemn us.
~ M. o. Brown.