The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-12-11
The Scarlet Question
Rock ISLAND. Dec. 18th. 1878

| have read the letter of Z. w. Spencer,
ESQ.,, and il occurs to me, Mr.. Editor,
that there are causes more fragrant for this
rapidly growing aud never redeeming
downfall of women than that advanced by
Mr.Speucer; and. although have no desire
to enter into an extended discussion of the
causes or the effect, yet | ask permission
to advance what believe to be one cause
for the numerous instances daily seen in
our large cities that produces more down
falls than any other single reason; and,
having suggested one remedy, will yield
my pen and the subjects to more capable
hands. L believe that cause to be dire
necessity" believe in a majority of in
stances the parent of prostitution is abject
poverty, restitution, want and offer as an
argument to sustain this belief the fact
that the larger the city the more numer-
GUS the cyprian; and very few are
the instances where this terrible
traffic and disgraceful and disgusting occu-
patton is followed from choice. Talk with the
numerous harlots of to day, and almost in,
variably you will learn the story of an i'm
poverished home, Of mouths to feed and
the larder empty, of bodies to clothe and
no means in the purse to exchange for the
raiment. You will learn from the young
and widowed mother of the struggles she
has endured, the privations she has suf-
fered that the little hungry mouths be
longing to scantily clothed aud shiverina
bodies might be supplied by her exertions
with the seanty food necessary to sustain
life in their emaciated forms; you vii!
learn from TIE affectionste. but orphaned
daughter, that employment was refused
her because she was encumbered with 8
| little brother and little sister whom she
idolized, that as solicitor of aims from
the religious moralist, rolling in wealth
and basking in the sunshine of social anG
religious favor, she was spurned; and then
cursing herself, but adoring her kin, sht
yielded her charms aud battered her vir
tue for the means necessary to aid her Ii
keeping life in the bodies Of those She
loved and all of this, in land of plenty
all of this beneath the shadow of thu
stately spire erected upon a magnifceu
edi6ce, built at an enormous expense anC
furnished at an exhorbitant outlay, tina
the patrons of religion aud of that church
might be proud of the place 10 which the,
congregate to listen to the cold words tina
fall from the tongue Of an over-paid world
" divine, whose logic has not half the eft
feet upon the heart of the listener as he
rivals extravagant raiment has upon he
selfish mind | ask of you who are pro
fessors Of the teachings Of Christ, did Iii
teachings, while on earth. commend to y0l
the eXtrayaDce which you nov
indulge in, the strife and the emulation
which now exists between the cold and IN
charitable (therc are Cxceptions) and sci
fish members that compose the congrega
ton who worship 10 the different churches
erected by themselves more for y0rldl
vanity than the love Of God. believe
MIR. Editor, when all the ministers of tn
gospel are willing to serve God and humani
ty because they possess an mate love TO
both, and step down from the pinnacle Q
exalted pride and become meek and plead
ing Christians whose only ain is Ia do goo
and lift from the slums of dependency tn
fallen sister and the erring brother; whe
they are willing to subsist upon plain an
wholesome food, and dwell IN plain bu
comfortable houses and wear plai
and comfortable clothing then
selves, and abolish from thei
families the gew-gaws of frivolous iashio
the first step will be taken. When th
thousand and tens of thousand of churc
going people throughout the land will see
! the house of God because they love Chris
because they seek salvation for them
selves and offer up heart felt supplicatior
for the erring, and draw forth the
{ plethOric purses and distribute that whic
4 will procure food for the hungry an
clothing for the naked-abolish all EARTH
soul-endangering pride-cease TO cast
look Of scorn and an eye of contempt upo
member of their own flock, simply be
cause breath of suspicion may have bee
raised against her. though she be pure {
the worldly can be-not abandon ht
o because of a foul word from the scand
monger-aid her, take her by the han
and assist her, if she be straying from tt
fold of Jesus and wandering off into tt
paths that end at the gates Of hell; wht
you, who are the congregations, assisted
e him who is your minister will unite again
all manner of worldly extravaganza in Il
erecting of your house Of worshi
aud supplying the same with the manifo!
q extravagances, and show to the wor
evidences of thrifty, economy and soci
= equality, and be untiring i'll efforts to e:
pend the amount oil money, now lavish
: wasted through your instrumentality
adorning your own persons and beautif.
ing your ministers houses and yol
= churches, where it will alleviate the bur
= ger and cold OF those who daily fall b
u cause of their restitution, you will ha'
taken step which will soon material
Q thin out the ranks of the worlds soci
evils.
Yours, &c, 3. L. N, THERE.