The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-13

seeming conflict into real unanimity OF inter-
es,s and efIecting tho magic transformation OF
exclusively sei.regardinE impulses into social
Impulses"
This prearher OF socialism nevertheless
considers that duty. however important Is not
tho vital part OF morality. Tho essence OF
morality is love. Duty Is the fibre OF the tree
not the pith; the foundation. not tho house.
They who consider duty everything are ike
man SO intent upon sinking the foundation ot
his house to the greatest possible depth that
he At last ends his labor swallowed UP by
uuicksands. Mr. Gronlund devotes long
chapter to an exposition OF the pnrt which
love, affection ntrulsm. will play in tho social
istic or as he prefers to call II. nationalist
commonwealth At the root OF tho now eystem
will lie a determination to carry out Christs
Injunction 10 love our neighbors as ourselves.
We must In the first place. cherish our own
life, for otherwise We could not live Tor others.
We must make ourselves pure. since mans
own lie must be precious to him before ne can
attach much preciousness to the lie OF ctherr.
We must make ourselves valuable. Tor. II the
individual self is vnluelcss so Is eSatS
other sell 80 are all individual selves put to-
Cether. II tho talk OF each man is sensele.s
babble. the united babbling OF mil!io men
may outthunder one but will no no more son.
sible. In other words. self-engrossment mar.
rows self wars against love aud sympathy.
and Is consequently immoral. scit-respe't.
character. on tho other hand expands self. and
ia the indispens sable foundation for morality
/. is here according to the author OF this es ny
that individualism. tho established order.
shows itself In q most mi. chcvous form as no
maelstrom that swallows uD purity temper
ancs. and honor. Mr. Gr,n!und charges In
vvts1. hat LA NJ
temperance. and Of purity. lie insists that
the Church knows this worry we'll and therefore
places the world" rs size calls 1t. oa line
with the dovi!.
As to honor, 81: Gronlnnd submits that
| II our social order absolutely tempts away
! from honesty. 1t must 10 equally inmicnl
! to It. r,tremen.-houor. I: Is. ne sara,
monsirous fact ,ha. a refnod man II he DO
POOR cannot possibly DO perfectly Lonor.
able since In order to satisfy his.mere physical
wants he must stoop to gain tho favor OF
some other man and to advance that mans
private interests. or course wha. struggle
this involves they never know to whom the
regular eating Of costly food comes Just as
easy and natural as breathing. Incompara-
bly, worse Is the corresponding position OF n
woman How difficult 1t Is for the poor CIR.
! to keen her honor the rich lady can never
| comprehend Lccky says the statistics OF
prostitution show that the great proportion OF
those who have fallen into 1t have been i'm
! pelled by the most extreme poverty In many
| instances verging upon starvation AS to
| sexual purity in general Mr.. Gronund con-
| tends that the existing social order is about ms
unclean as Rome In its decline ever was He
finds glowing illustration OF the prevailing
uncleannes. In Renans drama "LAbbesss de
Jouarre" The hero AMI heroine. having known
each other rs children. meet in one OF the
prisons OF tho first French revolution. both
convinced that they will be Ruillotined to2eth-
er the following morning. He persuades
her. the nun. to submit herself then
and there to his embraces. He dies.
as they expected: she escapes ard in
due time gives birth to child. The views
which the drama Ia intended 10 vindlcate are
set for b in the preface. Il often imngine.
says Renan, that II mankind should acquire
the certainty that the world were about to end
in two or three days love would break forth on
all sides with n sort d frenzy. for that which
restraints love l. the absolutely necessary con
ditions which the moral conservation OF human
society has imposed. The world would drair
to the dregs. and without a'terthough'. a pow
erful aphrodisiac which would make 1t die o
delight" Mr. Gronlund OF course comedies
that this extract from Romans preface doe
not describe either the average Ango.Saxor
human nature or. for that mat er. the averag
French human nature. He does believe. how
ever. that it paints the sexual impurty o
the ruling classes in the United States AM
England. as we'll as In France. AMI OF the ru
ing classes everywhere under the individual!
istic order In his opinion the only difTerenc,
IL that the French are frank while the Others
are hypocrites.
Nation alsm will have a purifying effect o,
tho relation OF the sexes for the foIlowins
rsasons In the first place it will enable mel
to marry whom young. Nothing is NOR
natural In our present social order than Il
look with horror upon marriage il it be unac
companed with sufficient means OF suo>ist
snce. or II oues position In society or TIT
prospects of children would be threatened
Hence q constantly increasing disinclnatiol
OF men to marry: and the inevitable conse
quence is a frghtful development Of the socia
evil that places us In q more degraded stat,
than was that OF the cities OF the plain. Az
petItes and passions never exert a controllin!
! and therefore q deg rading influence unit. the
have been rendered fierce By some foosl
xscsticism or accidental starvation. Normail'
tho natural appetites are a solace and re
freshment TO the mental faculties rather thar
Q burden. and normally the sexual passions
are a source OF divine unity and OF heavenl!
tenderness The first healthy influence ma
ton alism will have on sexual lovo Is that i
will enable every loving couple to MARI
young.
In the second place. M ional;sm. By con.
ferring upon woman tho power OF earning he
own living Mt present BY suitab o work. wi
enable her to refuse to marry for a homo o
for maintenance. There is much complaint o
the frequency OF divorce. but this is simpl!
the effect OF something else. People happil
ried do not seos di;orce: the trouble il
that the marriage preceding the unhappines
ought never to have been entered into. Tn
fortunately our economic system turns mar
riaRe Into o commercial institution. Younl
women form matrimonial market regulated
by demand and supply. and enter into rnatr
mony 10 gain support. What our law allows
to be marriage Is often very nasty thing. o.
this point Mr.. Gronlund quotes Henry james
Sr.. to tho following effect: " The law OF ever!
so.called Christian country permits on
to sell his daughter-if but the clerg
gid the transaotion-to any uncean wretcl
whose pecuniary reputation Is good
What An annual sacrifice Ia in conse