San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-04-19

show how licentious legislator
| Jared in Europe, and l think tina
Americans have an equal sense o.
honor and Justice. II therefore, the
electors of kentucky mete out {
similar measure of justice tn,
! world will commend them.
Society, whether that of birth o.
wealth, is a fraud, delusion anC
a snare. 1t is a hollow mockery
venal and corrupt to the core. Sc
long as outward propriety is OBJ
served it cares not what rotten
nest lies beneath the surface. 1t i:
insincere, for it politely welcomes
you and at the same time wishes
you in Hades. 1t says pleasant
things to your face, but it thinks
and acts in quite a different man
ner. In aristocratic society there is
rather more honor and chivalry,
for birth can enter where the door
is closed on wealth, but in wealthy
society gold is the main
passport to it's charmed circle
How that wealth is acquired none
pretend to know or care as long as
you have it. Society may know
that ga" is wealthy; it also has a
good understanding that the wealth
has been gotten by questionable
means but it caresses him. 1t may
know that "B." is an ignorant man
and destitute of all the principles
of a gentleman, and yet his gold
secures him a welcome. &C." may
be a moral leper but his gold covers
his sins, and matrons will seek him
as a husband for their virgin daugh-
tiers. You may do what you please,
so long as there is no public scan
dial and society will not see, and in
accordance with your wealth so is
your welcome. Wealth, not worth,
is the qualification for such society
and thus the libertine and the
rogue with wealth are heartily
welcomed, whilst poor merit is
thrust aside and denied admission
to the social circle. 1t is so in New
York, it is the same elsewhere.
Wealth blinds society, worse than
it does justice, and it accepts that
which it should condemn.
Society of both kinds, as a
body, is immoral, wicked and cor
rupt. This fact is proved by the
records Of the courts and scandals
that find their way into the papers
and are hushed up. But there are
thousands of cases that are never
known outside the family circle.
The main cause of this is idleness,
and we know that Satan always
find something pleasant and dan
gerOus for the idle to do. Then
there is rich food, fine wines and
liquors, that heat the blood and
make all ready for any deviltry,
and last not least, the gold where
with to purchase what we desire.
An inherited penchant for licen-
tiOusness or viciOusness only in
increases the difficulty and the
worst of it is those damnable quail
tiles are TRANSMIT tied with great
force to pOsterity. Thus, society in
general is more vicious and licen-
tiOus that it was century ago, and
is growing worse.
Nor is this all. The customs of
society engender Righteousness.
After being well fed on rich fare
and taking, even temporarily, of
fine liquors, man meets in society a
lady friend, and has pleasant tete
a tete with her. She is dressed
in the deCollete dress that fash
ion prescribes for her, and that
displays much Of her anatomy
that were better concealed. Her
dress too is tight and clinging,
showing off her form in almost its
natural beauty. This is in itself
danger but when he can embrace
her in the dance and see and feel
more he must be stole if he not
impressed by the situation. To
some men this may mean nothing;
to others it may,mean the creation
of an appetite that he seeks to
satisfy. Then again, if these exhi-
billions can be made publicly to
strangers what may be done pri-
vately to lovers and confidential
friends? Our counting system that
allows lovers to sit secluded long
after the family has retired, or to
take buggy rides in secluded plac-
es are not conductive to morality.
All may be we'll but if a flash
meets gunpowder an explosion is
the natural result.
The greatest safeguard to virtue
is modesty, and the fashionable
decollette dress is not modest. And
we should never forget that "oppor-
tunity makes the thief"