The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-23
Tho Honor and Ethics OF Men.


A husband recently obtained O divorce
from his wife OH the ground that she had
broken her marriage bonds with man OF
this city who is well known in club circles
and in the society OF fashion. The testimony
on which he secured the decree was given
| by this very mau. who was the only witness
against her. and who admitted his Illicit
relations with the woman, though pre-
viously she had confessed her guilt in let
ters pleading for forgiveness.
| As a consequence. the man is now ostra-
cized in his clubs and rejected socially. He
ls condemned to disgrace: and undoubtedly
he deserves the fate because OF his breach
OF the laws Of morality. II the offending
| woman is made to suffer- so Also In justice,
should her paramour receive at least equal
| punishment. The punishment is admins
| tered to him. however. on other grounds
| than his guilt OF the offence he proved
against her by his testimony. She ID cast
off legally because OF her ipfdelity. He Is
cast OFF socially because he told the truth
under oath. and thus gave away the wom-
an. 1t Is not because he was her partner In
the offence against the marriage relation.
Such are the ethics among mon Of honor.
They require that at all hazards tho man
must protect the woman under such cir
cumstances. Even II perjury Is necessary
for the purpose. he must not hesitate to
commit the crime. He must never admit
his guilt. because thereby no testifles to her
guilt. Though she herself confesses. he
must persist In his denial, and not for his
own protection, but solely for hers. By
committing the crime against the husband.
ioip ha fo ha boo colf har
ally against her husband in the opinion OF
men: and he cannot justify disloyalty to her
on the ground that 1t is required as repara-
ton to him. He must remain on the side
OF the vicious wife: and IL he testifes at
all In divorce proceedings. his testimony
must be for her. without regard to the
truth. and without regard to his oath.
This Is an application Of the doctrine that
the end justlf1es the means. which is de-
manded by the ethics prevailing among
men OF honor; and they visit the severest
social penalties on any man who violates
the requirement. First Of all. above all.
and at whatever cost. the woman must be
saved by her paramour. 1t is said In this
case. as an excuse for the testimony
of the man, that the woman asked him to
testify as he did; but that 1t is no justiHca-
ton under masculine ethics. Though the
woman invites ruin by confession, the man
must never confess. He must do his ut
most to save her. even against herself.
In this apparent conflict with the laws Of
morality do not men show an instructive
sense Of justlce9 As the sentiment and
course Of society are, the sufferer for this
joint offence Is the woman and not the
man. She risks everything by tho illicit
Intimacy. for discovery involves her irrep-
arabic social downfall. He risks nothing
in the way OF social position. The two are
held accountable to totally different laws
made by the opinion Of society. He enters
into the immoral relations understanding
that such Is his advantage; and as a COM
pensaHon for 1t there Is an i'm
piled obligation on his part to pro-
tect the woman from exposure. II she
sacrifices herself for him. men require that
he shall make at least the return Of hold
ing inviolable the secret Of the corrupt in
timacy. Otherwise he must keep out Of It,
II his conscience forbids him to perjure
himself in her behalf. it should have pre-
vented him from entering into the Illicit
first offence for his own purposes. he must !
commit the other for her salvation.
1t Is salutary requirement., for 1t holds |
men to some responsibility for such fla
grant violations of social morality. If they
wish to avoid the consequence. they must |
avoid the cause. A woman who enters into |
such forbidden intimacy stakes her
whole reputation: and the man who is
guilty with her. ought not In Justice to risk |
less. When he gets of from an offence.
which condemns her to social Punishment. |
with no other penalty than the necessity of |
keeping her secret. he escapes with com.
parative ease. The seventh commandment |
makes no distinction between men and |
women. but practically society applies 1t |
In Its severity to women alone.