The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-19

been RIGHTEOUSNESS. The battle which Christ
begun is still on-the church against the world.
against pagan philosophy and habits. Wherever
pagan philosophy Is its followers adopt the hor-
rid pagan practices much as they can, and
look wistfully pack TO the panorama OF pagan
lust and corruptlon In the old days.
t.Fhe devil has double headed propaganda
on foot to-day-of infiielity and of impurity.
He is at work everywhere The missionaries
of the find che heather naked indolent.
and licentious. And in France we see in this
age political propaganda of atheism and q
social aud literary carnival of indecency. There
fourishes literature which IS unequaied for
RIGHTEOUSNESS in any time or age, aud school
of art whose motto is 20 display the naked hui
body in every lascivious and filthy attitude.
Nowhere Is there more easy field for this
devils propaganda than in America. and the
signs of his handiwork are every side. We
see the public journals pandering TO an IN whole
some aDpetite by feeding the public mind with
the filthy details of criminal and licentious
deeds. We see popular school of fiction, the
plots of whose books mostly adultery,
murder. seduction, and suicide, whose heroes
and heruines lead immoral lives and make
lest of purity We see poetry which seduc-
lively stimulates animal passion. dramas which
whet sensual appetite and glorify murder and
shame; salaccus and icentious figures used on
every hand as advertisements; and pictures
imported from foreign school, and produced
by growing native school, | am ashamed to
say. of a shockingy lascivious character.
sand what is the state of the society in which
these things arel The poorest classes, living
in crowded tenement-houses In which it is i'm
possible dec6nG 0lgler
classes taught to cultivate the attractions or
their bodies and TO lure men by these-young
girls, with their lunches of dozen courses and
half dozen courses of wine-shamefuily at
tired at the opera and fondled there by the
hands of careless men, and holding supper
parties afterward, where the champagne and the
liqueurs iow-istening TO broad, speeches and
filthy gossip, and uncean stories, which make
them lose all faith in the virtue and manhood Of
men-when married, accustomed to fattery
and Irritation that their husbands come to oc-
cupy a second place in their affections until sep
aration or divorce follows
''These are the commonest things o-day. We
see men in high social places whom no selfre-
speeding woman ought TO admit over the thresh-
old of her CONGRATULATIONS carried on by peo-
pie each of whom has plighted his or her troth,
probably, to two or three persons-scandal and
dsgraceful stories about households, with
strange limiting at mysterious and immoral do
ings in high places the common gossip; married
men with the DEVILS look in their eyes and the
adulterer's desire in their hearts running after
young girls aud all bidding the men and women
hold their tongues who dare TO cry out against
the horrid business.
''If these are the things in sight in the open
day, what in heavens name are the things out
of sight2 Think of the sin and shame which
one night in New York hides! In the slums and
faunourgs the dance-houses and bathrooms, the
theatres, with naked women on the stage and
naked women in the boxes-with behind
the dailying with the advertisement
who invent story of business and absence for
the ears OF loving wives and daughters at home;
the aduterer stealing forth and saying TO him
self, In the twilight man shall see me' /
have said all that dare say. s
''The drift of the age is toward even greater
license and indulgence There is school gain
ing ground which teaches that passion is nat
ural and is to be obeyed. Oh how great is the
need of Christian women What influence
might they WELD for the better-some / know
who absent and some whom / before
met Oh, women, bethink you OF your duty and
your power! You know how young women ara
tempted, what books they read the gossip they
hear, the fool jests Of evil-minded men which
are poured into their while older
stand by as chaperons-the very life they lead.
that one season IN society takes the bloom
from the face and the modest look from the eye.
On will you help to do away with these
Mhings?p