Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-26
FIGHT THE CORSET.
Sunday Laws, Saloons, and the Deadly
Stay.

Stay.
EDITORS HERALD: We have in this
city self-styled great religious journal,
and at frequent intervals long-suffering
public has clay sermon" inflicted upon
it. One appeared in its issue OF today,
and as usual was wishy-washy COM
pound of emotional rot, sentimental nom
sense and unadulterated gush. 1t was
principally devoted to Sunday laws, and
the soul-destroying, ,""home-wrecking"
saloon, which is held accountable for all
the evils in the universe and every affiic-
ton known to the civilized world. In
the opinion of this pious and prolific
writer of platitudes, gush and female
logic, nothing will save the world from
destruction and prevent the disintegra-
tion of society except the Sunday laws
framed and enacted by people whose
minds run in the same narrow channel
as her own. We must preserve the
sacredness of the Sabbath, and not per-
NIT people to indulge in "idle pleasure,
is one of her demands.
idle pleasure" is great sin and
tremendous evil in the eyes OF such peo-
pie if INDUCED in ON Sunday, and by
idle pleasure" is included the relax
alton of mind and muscle by trip to
the coast, with the rest and enjoyment
which follows, to one who has labored
hard the six previous days. Idle
pleasure" means visit to West Lake
park, such as l made today to enjoy an
open air concert and divert the mind
from the stern and serious side of life.
idle pleasure" is going somewhere for
recreation except to church, and could
that law be revived which this writer's
puritanical ancestors enacted and ex-
ecuted (no one shall walk on the Sab
bath day except reverentiy to and from
church), she and many others think
little moro would be needed to perfect
our present state OF society and usher in
the millennium. Such people forget that
laws Of that kind have been tried,
tested and proved failures; but with
blind zeal they seek to re-
That there is a persistent effort being
made in this city to institute restrictive
Sunday laws, is a we'll known fact, and
no one who objects to the rule of relig
ious fanaticism should ignore or forget
it, for these people work as hard and
continuously as ten per cent mortgage
on the old homestead, for which reason
they are to be feared The closing of
saloons is simply an entering wedge. and
with this point gained, more demands
will follow. These people tell us of the
great evils which result from open sa-
looms on Sunday; of the vice and crime
that abounds in our city from this cause,
but where are the facts to sustain them?
Search the Monday editions of the great
religious journal, and time and again
you will read an item similar to this
Yesterday was remarkably quiet day
in police circles, not a single arrest be-
ing made" Does this show that we are
! on the high road to immediate destruc-
ton; that life and property are
unsafe? Not much! and that per-
son who proclaims to the world
that Los Angeles is anything but aquiet
and peaceful city on Sunday; who as
serts that vice and crime are rampant,
declares falsehood and states an un-
truth. There is not more peaceful
and law-abiding city of its size in the
United States than our own; andshad
not an eastern emissary of religious fam
aticism come here twice to institute
Sunday laws, we would have seen the
beginning of no such movement; for we
did not know our extreme wickedness
until he brought the news.
Now l wish to give this writer OF "lay
sermons" and other pious and emotional
females who wish to reform the world a
pointer.
Says DIR. Alice B. Stockham, medi-
cal practitioner OF many years: II am
temperance woman. No one can real
ize more than l the devastation and
ruin alcohol in its many tempting forms
has brought to the human family. Still
l solemnly believe that in weakness and
deterioration of health and moral princi-
Pile, the corset has more to answer for
than Intoxicating drinks"
Now then, if those ladies who are bat
Ting the saloons so furiously and earn
estly, will turn their attention to the
injurious result OF the corset, there is a
wide field for their labor, and a chance
to lessen infantile mortality; for, as
Mrs. Stockham further says: eff this
generation, it will bury all the middle
dren, and leave propagation to the
coarse-grained but healthy lower
classes" AS one-third of the children
born, die before they reach the age of
five years, and many who reach the age
of manhood are such physical invalids,
that they seek and require stimulants
to keep up, it would seem that woman
has most important work to perform
among her own sex. Therefore, would
respectfully suggest that they turn their
attention from the lesser to the greater
evil; leave the saloon and fight the COR
set. G.. SEVERANCE.
Sunday, Nov. %, 1890.