The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-06-15
SOCT8L CRTIEE.S.
AN EPISCOPAL BISHOP INDUCES N PLAIN
TALK.


The following is portion Of the annual
address of the Episcopal Bishop of ,he Iii
ncese of Philadelphia, Rt. Rev. VIM. B.
Stevens, ID. ID.
4 few weeks ago a large meeting Of in
fluentiil ui,iZeus was held AZ Association
Hall. at which measures were taken. with
the co-npPIatlon Of the Medical Society Of
Philadelphia. 30 check, 10y legal and moral
meaus the evils resulting from the Cirrula-
ton of obscene literature ard prenatal
marder. | regretted that | WAS prevented
from being present, as the subjects Under
consideration are of the gravest import to
the community. Such evils, for fear 81
offending delicacy, are suffered 10 pass Ou
in silence, until the very cnolinity Of their
growth cries ont for repiesaive legl~ial ion.
j his licenliuuS literature must no, be sut-
feIed to insidiously undermine personal
purify and childood's innocence without
vigorous cffpttS 10 stop such sapping and
demuIaiisnIg work, and punish those who
are engaged ia this ne!aIiuus traffic.
1t becomes us. brethren, to throw the
whole weight of our influence as laymer, a.
clersymen, against the steal,hy advances
of this foul literature. this moral pesiilence
freightcd with physical and mcrri disease.
and tending to the eternal rum OF sotli ard
body.
Intimately related to his subject is an
other social evil, confined to 4 naitoN ciI cl',
and covered up mostly aliIong the seciecie>
of domestic c life. but which has so cropped
nut of Ia,e ia'n bitter nuits, aud is SO fun
of present and prospective evils to The in-
dividual. to the family and 10 the Church
of God, that. painful as it is 20 mention it.
| feel il iny du to cali your attention to II.
| do this even ut the risk of cffrndlug some
who think it unwi~e 10 speak of such a
thing in a prn-ii~cuouS assembly. ! refer
to the crime Of the destruction 81 ante natal
human life This has been called Ivy phys
cidns Fashionable crime. Statistic ,,iravr
that it is q widespread and Gc~p-r"oird
crime that il appears among those whose
social aud even religious standing Is ptotI.
neut ani above suspicion, and lh.Jt In con
sequence of ignorance ~ &" the nature pi
thtiracts. n,uitItudes DG refined aisd delicate
and pious women are gully "i oe>tr"A ing
life before il comes to the hIith. HIS
crime is. according 10 medical statistics.
steadily ON the increase. lie percentage
of sill births is nearly fprIfo!d muse RON
,hau seventy years ago, and. at thIs Iatl".
il will tell more fUIcibly iJtan 1t does now.
not pulv upon the increase oi pnluia'lon.
bu; in dcteriorating ihp moral scIise "i tie
cnmmruitv aud dwatting our domestic cir
cieS. 1t iS a crime done mostly to prtNciit
Inconvenience and eGit'i,u9 10 avoid 'Hr
labor a ID expense of reaiI"g childten, AZ"
to indulge more freely la 'be pleasures ara
f,ivultics or fashionable llfe. Il'a; this ac'
of fu.ticide * taking of human lie iS
proved bv ali The researches uf physiology
aud tiie test iinDny of the whole ncdic'i pio-
FeSSiun, So that there can De no siiado" al
doubt as 10 its guili on amy reasonable an
Intelligent miuti. Yet thuu>aud~ "i moth
crS. moved by various selfish cuiis1he!7'i ii"l:S.
do Ibis igiiurauiiy. without one thought al
y a. raa.aa
bat know he yhysioa aud an "a, evil which
Trey were bringing Oh themselves and ou
the community.
II is not secnIy to discuss subject IKE
this in lie puh,it.-yet the clergy rs he N =
tudIans of Gnd' = commandments sit"Hid IL
ready at all proper tines in show thsu ih'
SIKH commas dmeut IS broken 10y pre- 't>
we'll as post iiaiaI mHrdeT. aud THAI IA ife
SIGHT of Him vino looke.h not rs man d@il'
ON outward appearance, but to the real u .
warGnes- Of ilIiugs, the destruction OF iOia al
life is a crime. because IN that destroyed
CeintIay impacjed aud vital the organism oi
az iinlnoitai body. 1t IL a we'll aS'e tanned
fact thai s!iur d be mentioned Iu con cctI. u
vitlI this subjvci, that TINS crime = tint'>'
/ uuknoyn among The jews aud kninai'
CathoIIcs II is because among ti'rm lIi"
from is fiSst conception Is guaIGCd ,v'th So
liz. ions care, and the people are iaug!u tia.
/ ihe Crstructiou.c offspring before brl.b Is
murder The people ~" instructed "a a. IS
point with fervcucy aud p!ainUe~s 81 spec. 4
Now what the priests 81 these rel z i"i's
J have done We ought 20 d.. - hat ilie pr"-
! lie need in large majority of cases i liS.
/ upon the question, 50 ihat iEhoidl'cc "iaA
! not he pleaded as bar of grii.s tae "i
/ ;he Hi,nops of tiie Roman "a Hoiic ChdI cii
/ thus writes: The d0cti iue of he tatho
/ lie Church her cauOuS. her pon''iic'i con
/ s,i,utious. her thcologidus wit!I'I, keep
/ ton. teach. aud constantly have aught,
that the destruction Of the human lee. I~
I at any period from the iitst instant at con
/ ceptiun is 2 heiuaus crimes equal at least D.
I guilt to that Of murdei.' We fad It DIS
tiucilv condemned as slch even aS Iat 1'Ch
/ as lie tiine oi FeltUliIan-ai the end ii TIA,
second ceutnry-" %" call II JtN't""''o
I L9U.fcidft.'' IA Fastening "f murder.
I At the General Assembly Df the Presby-
/ tefian Church. hcld in New York Ia 1853 d
/ rrsolutio.i was introduced y hich. after Stat
/ iup th. greatness and frequency oi thi>
crime. goes on to say: ~ g expect th''St
who have been called to preach ihe gospel,
! aud a Y who love purrty ard truth and WHO
voulG aver; liie jR~i Judgment "' Am -ht3
! 60 from the Church aud nation, iiiai iheA
be no longer silent or Tolerant IF tiies'
things. buj that they take = bold si''' d
that The floods "f corruption and cruelty
may be stayed.
1hGs we find that nearly an bodies 70
/ Christ iaGs. as we'll as Go;i' 3 sncI"nt people
! are ready to ac. rs one man against tbs
evil. ami Il becomes us with discretion. hui
with deicaCv, with fiimnesS aiic VIII fe'I-
lessneSs 10 ~pedk.uu as rsi''''i u" " >','' ]
( be glven warning wo4d>, and Christian
/ caunSelS let ani the Jew sh rabbi ana
/ The Roman priest au-do uS ~ this effort =
! check this great suci1l ann moral evil
which, we are told 10y em:uei physicians
! in All ,,,tis If ,he country. /. eating 1t iht
! very nssipo.x aud lifa & ihs family cons'i
/ Triton ordained and blessed of God.
TIE other ,lav a son ar tho Emerald lie
- -----. -. No. L-..l...- I'D I.iL. Lnu