Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-04-06
THE CITIZEN.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Evils of "SWell" Society.

| PntsDurg Leauer'l
1t is no wonder that the social cir
cles of New York are so much work
ed up over DR.. Dix's Lenten lecture
last week. The picture be drew of
the "best society" there is truly
shocking If all he alleges has ba-
sis of truth. the revelations of the Pail
| Mall Gazette as TO the sristocracy OF
London might be easily outdone, To
an audience composed largely OF Ia
dies, representing the highest fashion
ard most exclusive sets, he poured
out such q revelation of ipdecency,
immodesty, immortality as must have
made every hearers flesh creep. He
told them that right in their midst
schools of philosophy were teaching
the lust of the flesh as a worthy
desire-that poetry idealized it; that
painters and sculptors delighted to
picture the nude in lascivious forms;
that the carnal has been exalted with
| culture called religion; that the pub
| lie journals paRdered to an unwhole.
some appetite by feeding the mind
| with the filthy details of criminal and
licentious deeds; that the most popu-
lar school of fiction had for the plots
of it's works adultery, seduction, MUIR
der and suicide, and that their heroes
and hereines lead immoral lives and
make jest of purity; that the poetry
seductively stimulated animal pas
sion; that the dramas whet sensual
appetites ard glorify murder and
shame; that the devil has double
propaganda of infdelity and impuri-
ty everywhere, and that the signs OF
his handiwofk are on every side. As
if this were not dark and awful en-
ouph. the reverend doctor proceeded
to say what seems incredible and
truly horrible as applied to the society
of New York, and what must haye
made every woman in his congrega-
tion blush. If some foreigner had
gone home and told such stories fr ON
high life in New York as were related
by the pastor of Trinity church, there
would have been howl from ocean
TO ocean denouncing it as malicious
libel. Here is what he says of New
York society:
"Girls among the higher classes
are taught to cultivate the attractions
of their bodies, and to lure men by
these; young girls, with their lunches
of dozen courses of wine, shameful
ly attired attired at the opera and
fondled there by the hands of careless
men, and holding supper parties after
ward, where the champagne and
liquors fow; listening to broad
speeches and filthy gossip and un-
clean stories, which makes them lose
all faith in the virtue and manhood of
men; when married so accustomed to
flattery and Irritation that husbands
come to occupy a second place in
their affections. until separation or di
vorce follows"
These, says DR.. Dix, are the com.
monest things of to-day. Then be
tells that in society married people
firt and give cause to scandal; that
men of the worst character are receiv
ed by good women. If all these hor-
rors are in sight in open day, he asks,
what in Heavens name are things
out of sight?"
With all this true the reverend doc
tor goes even further and says that
the tendency is toward to even
greater license and wickedness; that
the school of immortality is gaining
ground, and he calls for good women
to help to stay the tide-to help to do
away with such horrors He tells
them that even with Older women as
chapesoDes, that tone season as a
bud takes the bloom from the face aHd
the modest look from the eye Of a
young girl"
according to bis account things
look pretty desperate, but who be
lives it all? 1t is possibly enough
true, of the ultra fashionable sets
among whom DR. Dix ministrates,
but it is not true of the great uleior
ity of A American society. The good
mothers and fathers, the modest, well
behaved daughters, the industrious,
manly sons still exist in large num-
bers. not alone here, but everywhere
DR. Dix's pictures of life are taken !
from the lazy, luxurious, fashionable |
sets whose idle hands are filed with
the devices and designs of Satan, in
New York, as they are everywhere.
Pittsburg has small quota OF suc1
society What is true of the great
city may be counted upon in the less
The question might be asked what liz
the cause of this deeadence in deceDey
and morals in New York, and what
has the pulpit been about to allow
such things to reach such pass as
shown by DR. Dix. Without paus-
ing to say more just now it may be
observed that the lecture is largely
talked about and opinion as to its
truth largely divided. People are
usually tender as to their sins, ana
those OF nigh society" so called are
generally discussed only under the
rose, but DR.. Dix is nothing if not
pain spoken. But as his hard words
, are mainly delivered on hearsay evil
dence rather than on familiar knowl-
ege, they fall with little tangible ef
feet. His brethren of "the clothn it
seems, as reports go. largely agree
with him. But it reflects little credit
upon them as teachers of morals.
What have they been about all these
many years when only DR.. Dix could