The Opelousas courier., 1897-03-20
In Defense of the women's Movement.

There ONE a time when forbearance
ceases to be II virtue; when silence be-
comes no longer golden. No matter how
deeply deplorable it may be that the
wives and mothers OF Opelousas have
had TO take this step, all true minds aDd
hearts will wish them God speed in
their energies that are being directed tC
the purifying Of tho moral atmosphere
Of ODelousas.
All true and pure minds recognizing
the axioms above laid down as il foun
dation for ensuing comments, will truly
pity and praise these noble wives and
mothers for the step they have recently
taken to keep their sons and daughters
from coming III such open touch with
the ss!iamCful, communicating, degrad-
ing influences which have been SO long
permitted to prevail openly in u little
city.
Will pity them because, usually speak
ing, it is not within the sphere Or pro-
vince OF the gentler sex to rcctify these
evils, or to have to go before tribunals
asking for legislative enactmeDts to pro
tect them, or for the enforcement OF
measures already On the statutory books
of our state.
The public will praise them when,
weighinga all motives that animated, i'll
cited Or actuated them to the perform
ance of tilose things, they perceive that
they were prompted by motives that
were laudable and plausible iii them
selves and which, by their natural ten
dency as causes, are calculated to raise
the human family out of the mire of in
teiIectual and spiritual degradation;
which will raise mankind out of the
slums OF IL two fold ignorance and equip
t1Ina1 fnr tSfa5r. ,In sr, ., I1,,f.1s ap.l.Inl, .op n
not be disregardea without reaping fear
full penalties; which will build man
/ kind up physically, mentally, spiritually
temporarily, eternaily. May the noble
energies OF these ladies cripple, ii not
kill, these forces that are bringing pen
ury and want, both Of mind. soul, and
body, to so many in our midst!
The potent causes which have been
instrumental in forcing the step above
referred to, are many. Among them W
will find that OF a defective education.
| do not by this mean to arraign any
particular institution Of learning or
their professor. only refer to Il clear,
distinct line that must be drawn be-
tween what the world calls an educa-
ton, and i'll What Il true education on
sists. 1t is simply II means to an end.
AS the eminent scholar Hooker ex-
pICoSSS l. ~ rs tlC HIEitilo ny "1ICu
u faculty Of reason is made both the
sooner and the better to judge rightly
between truth and.error, good and evil.
To develop the intellectual man to it's
fullest extent and leave his moral ma
tuTe nndeveloped is to arrive at a
"whited wall, or build a painted sepul-
cher" which necessarily contains an IN
corrected corruption, aud an instru-
ment eminently fitted for destruction.
Had mans education been complete, or
remembered after learning his lessons,
the gentler sex would not be today in
forming us that God has only one code
of morals, regardless of what the world
thinks.
That which brings tho blush Of shame
and degradation upon the mother, wife,
or daughter, surely brings shame and
degradation upon the father, husband,
son, in Gods sight. God has given laws
to regulate human conduct, and from
which code human legislation presumes
to take and weigh and measure their
legislative enactments. The defects lie
not in the original copy given by the
Divine mind, but i'm human legislation
leaving the moorings~ of Divine truth
and erecting principals of human con-
duct not found on any of it's lines or
pages.
Love thy neighbor as thyself," is the
golden rule by which to measure human
conduct. But do you love itself prop
erIy9 Do you desire those things which
are calculated to build up physically,
mentally. spiritually, ~eternafy? True
love is always jealous; il SO, then we are
jealous Of our neighbours fair name, his
right, his property. his highest interests,
and no one a invade these rights
without meeting rebuff Or frown from
us.
That there are statutes permitting
persons to play at such trades which in
their natural tendencies are calculated
to ruin our homes,-and that for a few
dollars to III public treasnry-is both a
shame and q curse. The day will dawn
when minds will go back to first princi-
pies, and the proper authorities will de-
eide that they are contrary to Bones
Mores," and will free us from the en-
Engagements and meshes so detrimental,
and peace, harmony and love will pre-
vail. ~
An Editor Tsnnsa |