The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-24

therefrom. II has been truthfully, and
not too strongly, said that the question Of
the family is the paramount question Of
modern life; vastly more important than
any question of either theology, property,
or politics for the family underlies the
church, industry, and the state. And it
has also been said, truthfully and not too
strongly, that personal purity underlies
the family; and every violation of the
law of purity does in 30 far threaten the
family with disintegration. The social
history of ancient Athens and Rome and
of modern Paris terribly illustrates the
truth that the destruction of every human
interest follows the destruction of the
family, and that destruction of the family
follows public opinion which looks with
allowance upon the sin of impurity. The
genius of Mirabeau cannot save a state
which the corruption of Mirabesu under
mines. But more may be said than this.
Sex is the universal fact of life, its most
sacred and solemn mystery. Violation of
the law of purity does more than under
mine the family and all that rests upon it
that is, all social institutions: it pollutes
life at its very source. 1t introduces cor
ruption into the very genesis of being. 1t
taints the blood and perverts the nature.
Other sins poison the stream of life in
its current, and there are processes of
moral alchemy which can eliminate the
poison from the stream; but this sin
poisons it at its source and spring death
is braided into life, and no skill can dis
entangle the cord. Vicious habits super.
added to life can be corrected by virtu-
GUS education; but vicious blood,
poisoned in the birth, no human skill can
clarity; and whenever community
learns to look with consent or indifference
on this blood.poisoning of the race, it
signs its death-warrant by its apcstasy
from the law of purity. The laws of a
community generally reflect its moral
condition fairly well. Any one who will
examine carefully the statutes of almost
any one of our states will discover in
them re Election which can give but little
pride or satisfaction. Purity is far less
sedulously guarded than property and
crimes against property are far more Sc.
verely punished than crimes against purity.
We have not, indeed, reached that moral
stage in which Haunting vice is licensed
by law, and made measurably safe by
legal inspection; but only the most ag.
gravated forms of the crime against
womanhood receive any punishment what.
ever, and in most states the penalty is
utterly disproportioned to the offense. So
lax are our laws in this respect that it is
no wonder that private vengeance under
takes to supply the lack of public punish.
ment. A considerable body of literature,
of various degrees of noisomeness, from
sensational reports in reputable dailies to
secret publications that crawl out of their
hiding-places only in the darkness, stimu-
late the passions and feed the magma
tions of the young, and accustom them to
vicious thoughts as means of preparing
them for vicious deeds. Under such cir
cumstances, he who exteuuates, apologies
for, or excuses sins of passion is contribut-
ing, however unconsciously, to the forces
which undermine society; and he who
permits himself, in the court of his own
conscience, to accept such extenuation, is
in so far undermining the foundations of
his own character. For purity, like
truthfulness and honesty, is one of the
foundation virtues, and he who weakens
these weakens the whole superstructure of
moral character built upon them"