The sun., 1895-05-26

describes ss 80 much better than these, kept
the whole town agitnted for weeks together
by expositions of moral degeneracy far moro
startling than any we have had Of recent
years worss indications Of social depravity
can be found by raking up tho scan
dsls of the past than those which ap-
pear In onr contemporary society; and
accordingly paper started to purvey that
unsavory material was left with only .
small and relatively fruitless field to draw
from after IL had exhausted that old stock.
1t In true that divorces have increased
with the decline Of the prejudices Of society
against them, but they arc no longer an in-
dicstion OF scandaloue conduct. The
great majority Of them in the so-
ciety to which Mrs. SHERWOOD re-
fers, have been obtained for other causes
than conjugal infidelity. Their frequency
may be an evidence Of q decreasing regard
for the commandments Of the Church re-
specting the religious obligations Of mar
riage, but 1t cannot be treated Justly as sug-
gestive Of moral degeneracy. It indicates
rather q decline Of religious faith and les
sened regard for the authority Of the Church.
The Episcopal Church, for instance, pro-
hibits divorces except for actual conjugal
infldelity, but the great mass Of the divorces
obtained by members of that society arc for
other and minor reasons, though the women
who secure them by getting nominal resi-
dence In other States than this are chiefly
Episcopalisnk The social penalties formerly
visited on divorced people having been re-
moved, the tendency TO seek such legal sepa-
ration whenever marriage turns out unsatis-
factorily in any way, has increased natural
ly. Women who have thus escaped from one
husband have usually married another, and
society has not punished them with its dis
approval, but has received them and their
new mates with hospitality, a. 1t would not
have done II their moral characters had suf-
fered in the process of exchange. So
ciety was never more intolerant Of
exposed immortality than 1t is now,
though, as always in the past, 1t
usually visits It's condemnation on the
offending women only. II It was indiffer-
ent to the proof of such feminine miscon-
duct, it might be open to Mrs. SHERwooD's
accusation of moral degeneracy; but 1t has
withdrawn its countenance from such mis-
doers, no matter how high their social place.
Mcity which never in the past was poured
on 1t. It's leaders and large part Of
the whole number comprising it have be-
come conspicuous personages whose move
ments are made matters of newspaper pub
Hcation throughout the Union. The i'm
morality Of which Mrs. SHERWOOD speaks
cannot thrive under such circumstances.
It needs the protection of seclusion. Women
who are pretty constantly under the obser-
walton and therefore the criticism of the
public, have little opportunity to indulge
in immortality, even II they be inclined to
it. New York has increased greatly in
population since the days to which Mrs
SHERWOOD refers, but the particular society
of which she speaks is still small in its
and it is relatively far more PROM
inent for that reason. Its surroundings also
have increased vastly in luxury and gran
deur, and the range Of its activities and
the brilliancy of its public display are
wider and more provocative of general
interest and observation. Such people
could not hide tho immortality which Mrs.
SHERWOOD reprobates. 1t would bc public
property If their case was as bad az she
makes out. They are mose under constraint
to behave themselves properly than any
other part Of society. The very circum-
stance thnt ths incidents to which she points
:" tore up New York society last winter" is
evidence that they were extraordinary and
not indicative Of prevailing social
tone Detective newspapers are always
on the watch for such moral delinquency in
that circle. but with all their mousing they
are able to ilnd very little of it; for actually
this society in New York is distinguished
fos its moral purity, as compared with the
luxurious society of every other great capi-
tai. and rs compared with that of the past
In New York ITSELF