The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-22

was a beautiful and wholesome sub
stance, and that to besInear with filth
was much the same thing as to crown
with roses and be diademed with ru-
bies. Respect for virtue has hitherto
obtained even among the backsliders
CT those countries where society was
founded on certain well-defined ethical
principles. And if this has been true
of the backsliders, how much more,
then, of the practically innocent? II is
different with us English folk az the
end of the nineteenth century-we OF
this self-laudatory fin de steele, who
openly advocate immortality as among
the rights of the individual, and as
openly deride those oid-time restric-
tions BY which social order and purity
have hitherto been maintained.
Turn where we will, not one of the
former landmarks dividing the per-
unissible from the forbidden has been
left in its place. In the home and in
the steeets, in the press and IN parlia-
ment, are preached doctrines which
upset all existing arrangements and in
troduce new rendering of the deca-
logue. The virtues once made obhga-
tory are now nowhere in the field. The
mutual interdependence of the various
members of the community and the
disciplined interaction which makes
the general good OF more account than
individual desire have given place To
an unchecked egotism which destroys
the very rootwork Of organization.
The good Of the community counts for
nothing at all and the desire of the IN
dividual sweeps the board. The due
subcrdina ton ofinferiority-the fright
full influence of education and the au-
thority of k1lowledge-the headship OF
man and the fitting functions of women
the grace of patience-the modcsty of
11umility-tire reticenee of maidenhood
the courage Of self-restraint-respect
for the law--loyalty and patriotism
all forms of obedience IN short, have
vanished from our code. Instead of
that self-respect in sslf-control which
used TO be the virtue practiced Or pa
gans like Marcus Aarelius and Chris
sians like sidney and More and Melanc-
thon, we hear only of the right of the
Individual TO live such kind of life as he
shall deem best for his own happiness
But we disguise this apotheosis of
Self, under The name Of democratic
evolution, of the New Hedonisn, Of
decentralization Of the duty we owe
ourselves In our own development and
the full use Of cur liberty. And when
we throw or ali restraint, and aban-
don ear appointed duties Because they
bore Us, then we call 1t stepping out
of the dolls house into the wide no
biiity of self-cuiture. And we applaud
that act OF undutiful egotism- Is If it
were as heroic as il Is in reality base.
Many of the dramas and much of the
literature turn on this new outbreak
OF egotism devoid Of principle and
stripped bare Of selfsaerifoe. The sym
psthies of the public go with the neu-
rotic divergondee, who cannot find
happiness in duty nor rest IN love and
who Will not seek IL 81 employment
the neurotic divergoDdee, who wrecks
every ones happiness because she IS
bored-and boredom is the living sin
which excuses crime. The second Mrs.
TanqBery is understood and tout
comprendre est tout paTdonner." Graf
!tude or consideration for others does
not enter into the picture. In'the apoth-
costs of Self what place has any form OF
hundrnan virtue?
This uPsetting Of Old principles gives
a phAntasmagoric aspect TO life, st
once bewildering and distressing. ls
there really no such thing as elemental
Inorality-no difference between right
and wrong, for the simple reason that
nothing ia right but as we make It
nothing wrong If we desire II?
Are the virtues which Christ taught
nere sesrecrows put up by age and
authority the better TO subdue youth
and INSTRUMENTATION? or were they tho
expression OF the higher law Of life and
the truer wisdom? Filisl obedience,
for example, Is there such an obligs-
ton, or are parents the enemies and
tyIants of their children, who are there
fore IL their right 70 defy and oppose
thernP Is it true thai the reason why
grandfathers and grandsons are gen.
orally goodi.ieads is, because they bavs
e common enemy IN the son Of thu one
and the father Of the other? As for
mothers and daughters, we have II on
tie testimony Of one who speaks with
autho-ty-the former are unsyps-
thstic, restrictive, cOercive beyond
reason. and the latter IRE therefore
justified in their rebelkouAaess-ars l.
their right VIXEN they demand me
dangerous liberties embodied II the
symbol 81 the latch key. The purity
81 uaiieuhood. bound up IN - iruo-
rance q certain forms ard fac-= q
life. which once al good men
and notherlv women red
as girls most precious p1 =
which Only devils would rob
purity IL ignorance has coze
broken idol OPsn re hood--e 3
moral filth % The yonHg girl. hitherto
guarded from dcflezeut- Let hr
mind a;tEne ttself q tho key-notes =
irapuritv which the modern ~ozl=n
writes fo1 the enllxhs~zzl~rt = the
modern girl-lst her sbtle II TIE O.
scene vrtz--ze which oE ---1
elaborate out q toe depths & their
OWE disease ;zazi1s tons Let tie
Grand 6txtizcSoz between tie shell
tered E,asoen and the vast-vl q tEe
streets q broken down AoG under the
Gsfusive PISA CT TIE protective power
Of knowledge le: TIE lESy1gIT! carr
hetiues al tAlzt TIE guttsr-5rcd has
mastered from the beginning II he
suotheosis 81 i-am0ralitT novF f.sAloI-
nbIe. this mental deE0rstien rs Is
,--- ,.l.,.A 81 b.-o--- ard he r-rsr :. tire