The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-11-15

Why tarry the wheels OF his char10tl
Here is a woman gloating over an
atrocious murder by another, whom
she exalts above all other women. She
repeats again and again the horrible
details of the killing, and shouts with a
deVilish satisfaction as she sees in i'm
agination the mother of the murdered
man watching for the tarrying wheels
of his chariot. There is for every Flor
women composed of such elements as
Lady Macbeth, the Medici, Marie Brin-
villiers, Catherine and Elizabeth of Rus
STA. Elizabeth of England, the tricoteuses
who sat by the guillo inc, and the
petroleuses who distributed the fire
brand through Paris.
VI.
In her altitude toward the unfortunate
of her own sex. woman is without
pity. She has for her an aversion that
is unreasonable AMI insurmountable.
The wife who is doubtful of her own at
fractions often sees in the be-diamonded
and glittering harlotry of the streets. a
possible competitor for the attentions
and the money of her husband. In
stead of being willing so remove the
imagined or real opponent by reforming
her, she would prefer to sink her deeper
in imfamy until beyond reach. It is
not saying too much to assert that
there are worthy women who learn
without sorrow, who learn even with q
throb of satisfaction, that some one OF
their own sex has stumbled, and been
precipitated into the social slough, from
which there is no rescue. 1t seems to
such women to heighten the charm of
their own virtue, to increase the efful-
gence of their own chaste brightness, to
learn that the purity of another woman
has been dimmed. Such a one felici-
tates herself on her own power of re-
sistance; she seems to say: THAT one
has fallen; but l resist, l remain unsul-
lie / I"
The man who has wallowed in the filth
of inebrity, who has beaten his wife,
starved his children, and spent his earn
ings at the gin mills and in the society
of lewd women, may repent, or affect
repentance, and kind women are ready
to welcome him back to virtue. They
stand ready on the brink OF the pits in
which are waIlOwing the drunkard, and
with outStretched hand are willing to
pull him from the depths, Let courte-
san reach up her stained fingers for as
Sistance, and see those who Will aid the
inebriate turn from her with loathing
horror. The only courtesans of this
city who were ever prayed over by
their own sex. who were welcomed as
they came out Of the pit, were two who
had become murderers. 1t was as hon.
icides that they were received it was
only when they had added blood-guilti-
ness to souls already stained with the
most hideOus of vices that they became
subjects of compassion from their own
sex.
The reform of the courtesan can
never be accomplished by women. At
tempts have now and then been made
in this direction and by this agency, but
never with success. Committees in
spired by a prurient curiosity and a
slight desire for reform have penetrated
the bagniOs. and made excursions
whose result has given them matter for
lasting gossip. but no hope of beneficial
results. The work can not be done by
severe matrons aged to a period which
guarantees against Infection. nor by
callOw preachers who use their diplO-
mas as free passes for admission and
inspection of the stews, and who employ
the information gained for the cons
tructlon of sensational sermons.
VII.
What shall be done2 At the outset, it
should be understood that any move
ment to reform the confirmed courtesan
is availess. If she be a woman pos
sessed of pride she will never return to
a world in which her vocation in known.
IF she be ignorant. besotted. and brutal
she is not worth the trouble of saving;
she can not be saved. but Will always
resemble the SOW which returns to her
wallOw in the mire. AS a whole, the
women who have fairly plunged into
the hell of harlotry are damned beyond
redemption. It may be that here and
there in the scarlet flames there is a
soul which cries for relief, and for such
there should be efforts made. Otherwise.
attempts against the social vice should
be directed to cutting off the supply.
To this end there might be organiza-
tons effected. Under the pa tronage of
these bodies there should be mis-
sionaries trained for the special purpose
of personal efforts among the unfor-
Inmates doomed to living death. Such
labOrers should be, if possible. taken
from the members of the profession who
have thoroughly reformed, and who are
sincerely desirOus of extending a help
ing hand to their erring sisters. They
could at most accomplish little, but here
and there they might discover one not
yet confirmed in Yileness, and &C.
casiOnally another wiling to encounter
all hardships rather than continue an
infamous life.
The societies should labor mainly to
reach the origin of the evil. To this end
they should combat every tendency
that leads in the direction of the in
fernal pit A publication society should
be included which should spread broad
cast through the community printed
matter bearing on the vital issues in
VOWED. Mothers should be taught how
TO educate their children; the dangers
Of idleness, frivolty, and excessive love
Of pleasure should be set forth: the trae
nature Of marriage should be insisted