The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-07-19

THE MABRY MATTER.


The propriety of publishing auch
matters as we indicate by our caption
line, has often been discussed. 1t is a
broad question, and one pauses before
it with hesitation and doubt. These
things are constantly occurring, have
occurred eyer since society was first Or
ganized and will probably occur as long.
as it has an existence. So the ques-
tion as to what is the best policy to pur-
cue is as yet an open and an unsolved
one. When the Mabry matter first
came to the surface in Salt Lake, ow-
ing to the social prominence of at least
one of the parties to it, the papers,
doubtless, pondered upon the weighty
question as to what should be done
with it, what course to pursue. Now
the rule prevailing among the best pa
pers In the United States is to pub.
lish fully the tsory the crime, care
fully avoiding all or many of the most
offensive and disgusting details-only
publishing enough of it to make the
story of the affair complete. This, not
simply to crafty prurient taste for
such reading, but as often to drive
home the lesson of the crime, and liz
this way to render its commission less
frequent, and to deter and warn others
from entering upon course of life such
as led poor Mabry to his ruin. The pa
pers often have far higher motives
than the mere qualification of the
vicious tastes of the general reader,
albeit the public rarely credits them
with motives so praiseworthy.
The lesson we would teach in this
connection is simple one. 1t is this:
No mere man, be he parson, teacher,
guide or friend, should ever be taken
into confidence by either wife or hus-
band where the interests of the other
are concerned. Let the preacher come
no nearer the sacred seclusion of the
home than any other. Exact from him
the same Difference and consideration
that you do from others. Every mans
home is fenced off from the world, the
law holds this theory, and no man
may enter save by the express consent
of the master. Because Mr.. MabrY
ever to enter the home of the woman
ia the case except upon consultation
with the husband as well as the wife.
He did that, however, and see what
came of it. He, an outeast, under the
ban of the law, his own family broken
up and destroyed, his victims name
tarnished, the church dishonored and
public morality shocked and shock
ingly injured. The best plan is to live
and organize your home so that the
Mabrys are left on the outside of it.
This indiscriminate admission of all
who come is productive only of evil
results. Know your guest to be worthy
and then be he christian minister or
whom he may. you can safely admit
him to your Eden. But finding him
unworthy be he whom be may, vigor-
ously exclude him. That will bar bad
men from the places where they must
60 to commit their worst crimes.
The tendencies of the times are too
much in the direction of laxness in
these home restraints. 1t should be
curbed. If we would have society
purified and elevated, we muat return
to the old time simple way of living
which prevailed in the last and the
previous generation. Men must be
severely punished for such infractions
of law, and women who sin must be
excluded from contact with the young
ami the innocent. In other words, So
ciety must make a broad distinction
between the good and the bad, be they
male OF female. ViTtuous and inno-
cent lives only ought to be considert |
as worthy to be associated with yours.
1t is the duty of the papers to the |
public, to point cut those who lead un-
clean and evil lives so that society may
the more efeCtually gueTd itself from
the beasts of prey such as this false
priest, w. ID, MabTy.