Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-01-25
ON THE FLIRTING QUESTION

finish.
observed sneer at my mention Of q
woman as the author. Now / have this
TO say. either woman wrote it or a con-
science condemned man. 1.-THE former !
reiterate that it was case of expectations
unrealized. Castles built in the air, y
with no foundation, which, when the
rains descended and the waters rose, y
tottered and fell q mass of hopeless de-
spair, so bitter in its anguish that its VIC
tim rushed into print in the most AFRO
CANT and egotistic manner. If the latter
it is even worse. it evinces what SO
much despise. feminine masculinity. I
do abhor these feminine men and mascu-
line women anyhow. Now the author
was either an :" airy fairy maiden from
whom victory was snatched when she
thought it most certain or fairy
airy man whose career has been one of
continual and uninterrupted heart
breaking, linsincere courtship) and
whose conscience SO condemned him as
to make him forget the limit when he
made his would be confession of wrongs
done.
My article was intended for the dis
semination of truth. the administration
of justice, the promotion of honesty and
piety and the increase of fidelity, for the
correction of what in my estimation land
| am cognizant of others) was wrong, for
the purpose of showing the fallacy of
such doctrine &c. And now for the dis
section of his reply and proving of his
fallacy of argument He admits that
courtship is what said it was in every
particular. He admits in contradiction
to his former article that friendship and
intercourse may exist between those of
opposite sexes and be- broken off without
any injurious appellations being attached,
" providing the attentions have not been
compromising. Now ism t this queer
piece of logicp How is the outside
world to know that these attentions have
not been compromising ? Upon what is
it to base its Judgment before saying
whether the appellation Of = fiirt !" is to
be attached or not {? This admission is
just my argument. He II willuse he for
convenience) says, such intercourse is
mostly carried on by young men and
women before they are of age" Now
say that I. L. Haines A. M. and L. w.
Yaggy NJ. s., in their Royal Path of Life,
copyrighted in 1875, page 413, in an
essay entitled Flirts says so; and will
add that this author can do no wiser or
AAOAO b0dCACCub uCb SktdA W publish d
few more chapters verbatim from the
same work.-say for instance on Court
ship and Marriage-for the special en-
lightenment of the many readers of THE
HERALD. / am not, and will not be
guilty of plagiarism. He admits that no
lady will consider herself engaged with
out proposal of marriage, but adds that
such intercourse anything having the
appearance of courtship) gives that i'm
preston to lockers on. Lockers on !
What have they to do with it 80 long as
the lady is not wrong 2
One must regard the opinion of the
world. &c. Then why does not this talent
ed writer do SO? He totally ignores pub
lie opinion and advocates the contracted
and narrow views of few bigoted per-
sons, actuated no doubt by personal mo-
tives, Perhaps literary ambition had
something to do with it. But l must
bring him back and hold him to "any-
thing having the appearance Of court.
ship" No flying the track. Still hold
ing him to the above. / ask what is to be-
come of society, of friendly intercourse
SO pleasing and edifying? What is to
become of that sacred tie of friendship
which makes it both possible and practi-
cable for us as civilized and enlightened
beings to reap from it the joint fruits of
observation. intercourse and study
Would he thrust upon mankind law SO
rigid Would he want to be victim of
such restrictions Do we want to move
backward to heathenish customs, or keep
apace with the advancing tide of pro-
gressp Do we want to be deprived of
social liberty and friendly freedom Do
we want the present standard of society
to degenerate. retrograde and fall into
insignifcance ? Do we want men to as
sociate only with men. and women only
with women until they are ready to
marry flor remember if there is any as
ISOLATION of the sexes it has the appear
ance Of courtshipl. Do we want man to
become a depraved and unrafined bulk
of human construction ? Do we want
moral turpitude to be the dominant ele-
ment in man? If any of these are want
ed, do not do anything, do not permit
anything having the appearance of court
ship. agree with him when he says
the impartial writer does not say any
thing about the deception practiced by
man. It's only the partial writer like
No. l who does. The impartial one can
find nothing worth mentioning on that
subject.
He says, (now mark his words) down
trodden, deceived, mystiied and de-
frauded man is responsible for the blast
ed lives of women, &C.. all the result of
innocent. harmless Irritation. Now how
can there be no evil in Irritation, how
can he try preach it in the face of his
own denunciation of it is as innocent
and harmless And now who down
trod, deceived. n.ystified and defrauded
man Surely there is nothing under
heaven save woman, completely verify
ing my assertion in reference to women
artificialities, and absolutely contra
dieting his own argument. He has just
spun rope enough to hang himself.
Ny honored and worthy opponent well
knows that the opinion of the world is in
favor of free and honorable comming
ling of the sexes. 1t advocates pure
and honest friendship-not insincere
courtship. 1t advocates this friendly
freedom and social liberty for various
good and substantial reasons, only few
of which can allude. Society finds in
1t the very life germ of its existence.
Morality in man finds in it food for sub
sistence, for by association with woman
he partakes of her refining influence and
inspiring zeal. She is the real and
genuine element of refinement, the very
controlling and awe-inspiring power and
influence which yields its scepter with
irresistible force for veal or woe. The
happiness of the human race is DEEPEN
dent upon this same association. The
cultivation of those graces which makes
man power, the education which makes
him being of diversified thought and
opinion, which instills in him pure and
noble understanding of social and moral
law, the inculcation of those principles
of obedience and subssryience SO indis-
pensable to law-lovingan law-abiding
man, owe in a great measure their exis-
tence to this same association. The
eradication of evil thoughts and actions.
the obliteration OF immortality. and man s
extrication from the fangs of embarass-
ment, also are indebted to this associa-
ton. These and many more things l
could mention are the joint fruits of OBJ
servation. intercourse and study. Yet
all this cannot be permitted, this which
no one will deny is so beneficial, simply
because it has the appearance Of court
ship. But to go deeper into the subject.
In every age and country the standard of
womanhood characterizes the state and
progress of civilization. The history of
the world proves that the hand which
rocks the cradle is the hand which rules
the world. That woman's power over
man is irresistible, and that she wields
that mower as Y1nrciIoselvs and an re-