The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-03-07
sPRINcFIELD'S HAGAR-

spRINcFIELo's HAeAR
A few days ago, the Springfield
Louder published the following:
1.-The Rev. Mr.. Scruggs, Of St.
Paul church, yesterday announced to
his congregation from the pulpit that
Mrs. j. Newt Williams was dropped
from the congregation. After almost
a lifetime of devotion to her God.
with little family reared and enter
ing upon the arena of life, this moth
er and wife fell by the wayslde.
weighed down by a burden none will
help her carry. Forgetful Of the
eternal command and faltering with
human frailty, she goes down judged
by the awful Judge who sits upon the
throne of public opinion. merciless
only upon discovery. Man may sin
and the world will shudder; be may
reform and the world will appland,
but when woman falls the world never
receives or forgives, even though she
repenta thousand told. She is stoned
by the. populace, and He that is with
out sin.is her only:refuge.'
Reading the above atroclous emana-
ton, it is hard to believe that this is
a Christian age and that the days OF
the ''scarlet letter" are over. "After
almost a lifetime of devotion to her
God" the Rev. Mr.. Scruggs dropped
the woman who had sinned from the
congregation, and then the Leader
with hypocritical and sanctimo
NOUS zeal adds its approval. Ava!
with such false and malicious teach
ings, away with this whine which to-
centuries has told the world that tn
man who sins is not to be punished
and the woman who sins is to be al
outcast. 1t is false and foolish senti
ment and belongs to the days wheI
women were slaves to mems whim
and when if they offended they wer
burned at the stake. The world ar
proves of virtue and honor in man o
I woman, but even the least worldly o
1 us know that society is full of dishon
/ est and unchaste women Is well Is me1
and that the churches have nothin
to saw tn such sinners when the cor
tribution plate Is well piled with thei
donations. How can a preacher COZ
sistently brand q woman, as tn
d Springfield woman was branded
e when perhaps. in the same pew wh'c
N she has occupied sits a man who
o known libertine. perhaps a seduct
re of pure and trusting womanhood an
y in addition to this. clad in silks al
Is Jewels, in an adjacent pew sits a woma
II who has made use of the law to
cense her prostitution by getting RI
:, of one husband to marry anothel
to The idea is preposterous and it is hil
~ time those women who are rushit
.r about the country and clamoring f
re woman's rights were denouncing Il
n Injustice which their own sex b
H. trailed like a deaths head ever SIN
~ that lecherous old villain Abraham
with the assistance of his shrewish WI
Sarah. turned Hagar and his own
:" spring into the wilderness
III die. or live, as the case mig
tn he Thank God! that despl
rs. of the pernicious example Win
'e' !he R,v. Scruggs and his XII
are holding up for public admir-
Use ton. Christ denounced the sinni
10 man a. well rs the SHINING WON
:" and for her one sin she was not CO
demned. If the churches are
we Danish all women who Gin and COY
o's over AZ with q cloak all men who S
", they are wrong in principle and ha
are lost sight, in a most dangerous mi
an ner, of the teachings upon which Ii
ix- pretend to be founded Of the d
the who said 81 came to call not
nod righteous, but the sinners to rePe
nd ance." There is not a bit Of do'
on that the idea that . woman cannot
,ur form, and which has been prom
his gated with . veaomous persste'