The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-25
A Sensational Lenten Lecture.

Sensational Lenten Lecture.
Nothing that has emanated from the pull
! pit for long time has attracted so much
attention ana provoked so much discussion
as the Leuten lecture,of DR.. Morgan Dix, of
/ New York, on imDurity. Dr. Dix thinks
that the higher classes of society, 50 far as
morals ere Concerned, are on the down
/ grade, and he does not hesitate to say that
! unless these classes reform their practices
and live cleaner lives, there will come a
protest against impurity similar to that
! which was made against drunkenness a
half a century ago, and which has resulted
not only in making that vice disgraceful,
but, also, in q vigorous warfare against in
contemporaries IN all parts of the country.
Dr.. Dix in his lecture referred particularly
| to the higher classes Of New York. His re-
marks were based upon his observations in
| that city but what he said was applicable
to the same classes in other cities, though
! the things he condemned do not exist to the
same extent outside of New York. 1t NAV
| be that DR. Dix is mistaken, and that in his
| anxiety to make an impression upon few
! sinners he was altogether too sweeping in
| his assertions 1t is no doubt true that in
| proportion as a city becomes great and
! wealthy the Generalization of its
society increases. There are those,
| of course, among it's people who
! are as moral and as strict in the per-
Torrance Of their religious duties as their
| ancestors were, but the average standard of
morality gradually becomes lowered, and
many things which were condemned by the
| previous generations are endured, if not re-
| garded with indifference. New ways are
constantly sought for spending money, and
when found they are not always ones in
which virtue and morality are honored.
Here are some of the pictures which DR..
| Dix presented: Look how young girls are
trained-in softness and luxury, with the
one idea of making figure In society and
brilliant marriage; of making the most Of
| their physical advantages, and aluring the
other sex by the acts best adapted to that
| purpose. See them on the drive, through
the troubled social sea; at their lunch
parties, with dozen courses and half as
many kinds of wines; at the opera, i'm
modestly attired; at the ball giving tie
whole night to dissipation; at the summer
| haunts of fashion, without due oversight
| or sense of responsibility, treated with easy
| familiarity by careless men, and apparently
| without vestige of an idea of what is due
to a gentewoman from a man. Listen to
| the low gossip among these young wome1;
- the broad speeches and unclean stories,
| by which they are prepared Tor the final
surrender of the last ideas of proprety and
! Of all faith in the honor and virtue of men.
Then pass on, and let us look at the
woman as marriei-married, perhaps, for
| her money, or marrying some man for his
| money, without love, and without respect !;
| Married, but with no idea of living there
| after under bonds; resolved to be more free
and to enjoy life more; eager for admira-
| ton, athirst for compliments and fiattery,
| 20 that the husband early drops into a sec
ondary position, and some other man, who
| does the madly devoted for the time en-
| crosses the larger share of her thought. Fol-
low out this subject till you come to the
| divorce suit and the separation, and thence
| TO the next, and now adulterous marriage,
| when those whom Christ and the Gospel
| forbid TO marry so long as some one else
| liveth, snap their fingers at the attempted
| restriction, and commence second
| partnership without fear and without re-
morse
1--WE all know that these are the common
| est things of the day. We see men freely
| moving in high places whom no respectable
woman should permit to cross her thresh-
| old; notorious immortality condoned for the
sake of great wealth grave social scandals
! widely known and openly canvaSsed, though
the actors are receivebwith open hand and
! made welcome as before; flirtatlons going
| IN between persons, each of whom has
| plighted troth to some one else, and thus
stands perjured before man and God: men
| languishing after the wives of other men,
and married men running after young girls
| and paying them attention, with the devils
| look in the eyes and the devils thoughts in
the heart; and women, young and old. per-
| hitting these demonstrations, agreeably en-
| tertained and fiattered by them, and glad
| to find themselves still able to make con-
quests"
A very influential part of the New York
press says that Or. Dix does society in New
| York great injustice, and that the men
aad women who compose it are as pure in
society of any other city, or as the higher
classes have been in any previous period of
| the country's history. DIR. Dix is supported
| bvDr. Parkhurst, of the Madison Avenue
church, and DR.. Rainsford a prominent
| Episcopal clergyman, but the field of OBJ
serVation of newspapers is wider
| than that of ministers of tho gospel,
and their greater experience teaches them
not to form conclusions with respect TO any
matter before gathering all the available
facts bearing upon it. 1t may be that Dr.
Dix is right, and that society in New York
is immoral to an extent that is appalling,
| but it is certainly to be hoped that he is mis-
taken, aud that only few, comparatively,
are guilty of the impure practices for which
! he condemns whole classes.
The State election in Rhode Island occurs
April 4. Both parties have in the last few
| days nominated tickets, but that of the Re
| publicans is creating some dissatisfaction
M