The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1895-01-10
SOCIAL PURITY.
Sam P Jonos' Plain Talk on This
Important Theme.
Inc Same High Standard of Morals That
u Demanded of the Woman Should
BE Required OF the MANA
Great Perit.
LCoPrRiGnr Isna l


lens and commercial problems, but we
have met the crisis in American his
tory, and the question of social purity
rs paramount to all The moralist, the
enthusiast, the statesman, the theolo-
Ssan, In fact every man who stands for
inc purity OF home, for the purity of
womanhood, should now take a hand
and lend The forces and energies of his
nature to the discussion of this subject
a people may swing too far in careless
mess and thoughtlessness, until we have
a debauched sentiment and unsafe
ideas upon this question. Family ties.
noble manhood, and pure and virtu-
Gus womanhood demand that those
who lead thought, and those who lead
IN the various professions and callings
OF life shall determine for the rank and
lille OF humanity this great question of
social purity. Overcome evil with good
rs not only command, but we have
ee the command a weapon by which all
evil forces can be conquered or SUBJ
dued. Where social purity is lack
ing, there we have the most debauched
municipal politics, and the most fragrant
vices. Upon the word purity the very
foundation of society stands. What
ever is impure is cutting away and I'M
dermining the very structure of society
itself We have in our country a class
of freethinkers. A man who thinks as
he pleases will not be long in deter
mining to do as he pleases, and the
world is turned adrift the day when a
man or any set of men can think as
they please until they begin to do as
they please. There are boundary lines
and limits to thought on moral ques-
tions as really as there are limits to
actions in the social world. In some
places we hear the remark: 1.-THE man
who is pure in his life is an exception
to therule." If one-half the male part
of humanity is debauched how long
shall it be until the tidal wave shall
be strong enough to debauch the other
side? God knows there are enough i'm
pure women in America to-day. The
shameless houses as thick as the lamp
posts along the streets in all our cities
give expression of womanly impurity
that'would startle the world if all their
numbers could be gotten together and
humanity look at one side upon the
hundreds of thousands of ruined wom-
en-, and then, if there could be placed
so they might be seen at another glance,
the millions of impure men whose lives
are disgrace to virtuous mothers and
pure wives and innocent sisters
Social impurity is regarded by many
as but one of the necessary evils.
h SC Il
and manhood in that community is de-
bauched. There should be written
upon every Intel and door post of
every American home: Nothing i'm
pure can enter here" The virtuous
woman looks with contempt and scorn
upon another woman whose character
Is blasted. The lost woman is tabooed
in all society of virtuous womanhood.
No riches can adorn her and no trap
pings can qualify her for entrance into
pure society, and yet women who
scorn a lost sister will give social
recognition to the tman who is as
yuilty as the lost woman. cts poor
rule that won'tworll both ways" The
net that ostracizes a woman ought to
taboo the man, and any sentiment or
thought that does not taboo both alike
is vicious in its tendency and harmful
to .socicty. Congressman Linch, of
Mississippi, said to his colored breth-
rem ON one occasion that God could not
lift the African race to its place in the
world until the colored man thought
more of his wife and daughters and less
of whisky.
The very principle on which all good
society is based, is in the declaration
of man who says: 81 will never do
towards any mans wife or daughter or
mother, that which | would not have
done towards mine" Every gentleman
measures up to this Standard; a vaga-
bond who does not so measure up,
ought to be tabooed and despised on
equal terms with his paramount in
crime. A section of the city set apart,
allotted to vice like this, the troupe of
soiled doves, the numberless be-
bauchees, their partners in crime, call
attention of thoughtful men and pray
ing mothers and pure sisters to state
Of things which to them looks like an
evil whose bounds cannot be marked.
But the line must be drawn. Preach
ers and patriots must alike take the
platform, the pulpit and columns of
the press, and agitate until sentiment
shall be converted and conduct
changed Then, indeed, we will have
right thought, and with right thought,
there will come right action. verify
believe that man can do wrong until
his thoughts are wrong, and there can
never be reformation of character I'M
til there is regeneration of thought
with him.
Social impurity in all its meanness
is regarded as the theme of fanatic or
the idealism Of transcendentalist So
much the worse for poor humanity. II
IS contemplate for a man to say that
every man has his price. II things go
on, won't some fellow say, by and by,
that every woman has her price? Then
the foundation is gone. The super
structure fallen. Society is rotten at
the bottom and the top, the buns and
harlots at the bottom, and the gilded
vicious leaders with their gang at the
top. Wine and women arc the subJec'
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