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

and female nymphomania, but
these do not cover the ground in
its entirety.
In considering this subject we
must have due regard for the
natural characteristics, whether
they be inherited or acq uired.
Men who are drunkards despise the
libertfne and the libertine abhors
the drunkard. The avariciOus
man has no use for either and the
kleptomaniac has similar feeling
To catch either of these you must
have an appropriate bait.
There is some power, call it mag
netism, affinity, or what you will,
that gives certain men power over
certain women and vice versa. In
such cases, simple kiss, between,
what we may call, the positive and
negative of humanity, is felt, I'M
derstood and appreciated, and the
dominant sex-which ever it be--is
the master; the other is the slave.
This, however, may be higher
form of seXomania, but that such
power does exist, we have had
ample evidence right here in the
city. We have seen a public officer,
possessed of nice wife and family,
popular with the people, and hav-
ing a brilliant future, throw those
prospects away, and rob the county
to supply the whims of woman
of ill-fame. We have seen a bank
clerk rob his employers, sacrifice
character and position, to satisfy a
prostitute, who gave her favors
freely to bar-keeper at the same
time. We have seen lovely girls,
who have had offers of honorable
marriage from men, who were
physically and financially accept
able, throw away honor and repu-
tation at the bidding of a libertine,
and we have seen wives desert hus-
bands and children in similar !
way, and with the same result.
In these cases, known to most |
citizens, the victims must have
been affected with seXomania, or
influenced by that unknown power |
by which sometimes men control |
women, and men are controlled by |
the power Of sex.
These logical facts-as | think
have an important bearing on the |
immoral offences of society and | |
am quite satisfied that the disease,
seXomania, or that mysterious con-
trolling power may be inherited or
acquired.
Tn +bo proolyiDriJ DO1larJ coeo
we have peculiar phase of society |
that cannot be too severely con-
demned, and yet, as the defend
ants counsel assert, it is not an I'M
common one. There are, however,
circumstances about it that indi-
cate the presence of seXOmania, or
that controlling power which | |
have heretofore mentioned. On
the worlds stage Breckenridge has
evidently been playing dual
character as diversified as that of
DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde; for to
the world he posed as a Christian,
a moral philosopher and an ex-
eXemplification Of the good states
man, whereas in private he was d
libertine a seducer, a fornica-
tor and an adulterer. 1t is
a strange and incontrovertable fact |
that the greatest intellects of past
ages and modern times have been |
marred by an undue affection for .
"women and wine" This, however,
does not excuse the violators of the |
moral code nor eXtenuate the Of
fence.
The conduct of Col. Breckenridge |
in this matter is abOminable and |
his inference that he was "a victim |
of woman's wiles" is ridiculous for |
he was AZ years of age at the time,
had been twice married, was man
OF the world and successful poll
ticiau. He had a wife that he pro-
posed to love and an honOred fami- |
ly. To his wife he owed the obi
cation Of marital purity. In the
seduction of Miss Pollard he not
only betrayed the school girl but
he committed a double wrong in
betraying the confidence of low
ing wife. Man is man and has the
passions of manhood, as he pleaded.
If in an ungarded moment he had
fallen, then repented, reformed
and made reparation there might
have been some excuse for him, for
"to err is human" but when for
ten years he voluntarily continues
that liason and continues it after
his wife's death and remarriage,
there can he no possible excuse but
| that of seXomania.
1t is quite evident from the testi.
mony that when he betrayed Miss