The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-03-02
MEN AND MORALS.
Communicated

thoughts to men on moral reform.
1t seems strange, in this enlightened
age of the world, that so many men
have so completely fallen from morality.
They seem to have lost sight of the fact
that to have the fountain pure the head
or the source must be pure. How, we
ask, can men govern nations honestly
aud justly when they do not govern
themselves? Man has defrauded half of
the human family out of their rights
and has placed himself on the throne of
power regardless of the great obligations
he owes, first, to God, and then to hu-
manity. Man claims to be the greatest,
grandest work of the Creator, made in
His image and endowed with intelli-
gence that fits him for all the high and
holy duties of life, and with the law so
plain that the "wayfaring man, though a
fool, need not err therein" for do not the
Ten Commandments embrace the whole
law? Christ has said that the first great
principle is to love God with all the
heart, and the next is like unto it
"IhOu shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self" or, in other words, "do unto 9TH
, ers as you would that they should do to
you" Are not the commands, "ThOu
shalt not kill, 'Thou shalt not steal, I"
Thou shalt not bear false witness" etc.,
just as binding to-day, and their OBJ
serVance just as necessary for the well
fare of the race, as they ever were
But alas, how far has man fallen from
that high estate for which his intelli-
gence BELTS him Behold them Men
who hold the destinies of nations, who
hold the positions of fathers and hus-
bands, who have neither the love nor
fear Of God nor the good of humanity
at heart, granting license to crimes, and
fostering and encouraging and indulg-
ing in all manner of corruption and Ii
centiousness
How often do we see husbands and
fathers drinking and squandering every
cent of money that they can get, while
their starving wives and children work
UoN bNS iOA bilC ACCGSodl Vi llltg DlGdu-
ing in vain with the natural protector
to fOrsake his more than brutal habits.
How many of these cases come throng-
ing to our memory, where years of long
patient toll and misery have been en-
dured by good Christian mothers and
wives, hoping in vain, until their whole
lifetime has been sacrificed on the altar
Of want and woe and poverty, all to
crafty the appetites of drunken hus-
bands, until the weary, disappointed
victims are kindly released in death.
Then perhaps the drunken wretch can
be induced to see the evil of his way
long enough, any way, to ensnare some
other foolish creature who puts faith in
his promises, only te find them false.
How often do we see and hear fathers
indulging in profanity at home, often
under the protest of shocked wives and
the mute wonderment of children. Let
this self-same man go into the presence
of other ladies than those of his OWL
( family, and you will not hear an oath oI
an unbecoming word escape his lips
At home he is lord and master; he car
l compel his family to hear him, whether
1t suits or not. 1t seems to be cOnsOling
! to some men to have some one that the1
can pent their vengeful feelings on
f some woman or child who cannot helT
I themselves. We say again that mer
aonaraI -,
f they will not bear themselves. How
: often we see poor, trudging, toiing
4 wives of men who are considered gooC
: men, who are wealthy or in easy cir
4 cumstances, that work from early morn
, ing until late at night, day in and day
out the year round, milking, cooking
: churning, washing, ironing, scrubbing
s sewing, and an endless round of worE
e that never ceases, besides the care o
: children, who are never thought of al
q needing help as long as they can trudgt
around, or only grudgingly once every
year and half or two years, when tn,
e advent of a new baby in the famil,
e compels the mother to lay aside he
weary burden for a few days, only t,
have it increased when she is able to re
d sumo it again. We have seen one O
:, these self-same men, with lands renteC
: out and hired hand to attend to hi
. chores, mount his horse or lean back il
= his carriage for ride, and if, in tn
b course of. events, his wife should timidly
II ask for means to get new dress or
new hat, or something for the children
" she generally receives the pleasant re
i ply, "Old woman, I haven't got tn
e money to spare" or, if her request i
: granted, it is grudgingly, and with tn
= Information that "she be sparing," tha
!. "times are hard" But how easy i
: would be, and how much pleasure woul
u be derived from it, if men would chang
= this picture. If the man is able to hav
e hired help, he is able to have help 70
.r his wife, that is sure.
A sure way to tighten the burden
,r that wives must bear is to show then
'e that they are appreciated, and alloy
y as right the benefits of their labor; fo
!. depend upon it, good, Industrious wifi
er knows just as well what she can affor