The age-herald., 1898-02-17
ETCHINGS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

What is falsely termed "southern chiv- | airy is responsible for much of the crime perpetrated in the south. The time has now arrived when an intelligent public should discriminate between lawlessness and a proper and commendab.e defense Of the honor of mans family. The Gafford af- fair of Greenville serves as a living ex- ample of the present condition of things. I It is an unwrftten law in this section that i no man. can invade the sanctity of an- l others home, pervert the mind of an in- l nocent, helpless girl and cause her down. l, fall without taking his life in his hands. There is no body of twelve men who would dare to bring a verdict of "gt.s.ty' ] against a father brother who would revenge a daughters sisters dsnonor, l provided she had to her credit youth and l inexperience. But the youngest and most | inexperienced girl has had implanted in | her soul by her creator the instinct of nor I al, self-preservation, which should be as a bulwark of defense about her. When a | girl needs the protection of her fathers I or brothers pistol she may be estimated by | all right-minded men and women either a mental or moral imbeoile. Either con- dition should cause her to be consigned to the care of the authorities of a hospital or insane asylum.
 
 | No woman young or old, who is worthy of the respect of men ever failed to re- celve it.
 When man loses his regard for wo- mans character, the woman is responsible | for 1t.
 pure-minded woman will compel the respect and admiration of the greatest proflgate; a woman of limited moral in stincts is intuitively detected by every man who comes in contact with her. no matter what may be her social position or her ecclesiastical bearings.
 It is always the woman's fault when a mans conduct reflects upon her character. It is worse than folly, 1t is extreme and inexcusable inanity to abuse the south erner's love for right and honor, in at tempting to create a sickly sentimentality for women who have been parties to a sin. It is certainly time that the world shall demand that a shall not take refuge behind the miserable cant about "southerr chivalry'' when there has been crime committed.
 Southern chivalry is at very low ebb when it fails to accomplish anything for a man except to furnish him with mantle. beneath which he can hide his desperate and criminal instincts.
 Southern chivalry becomes a term of re- proach when it saves from punishment human vampires, who destroy the peace and happiness of homes and plot against the lives of their fellow creatures. When woman confesses herself before the world a Mrs Mack it is farcical to kaJl honor in her case.
 There seems to be certain class of women-a small class, thanks to a merciful Providence-who stand in constant need of the protection of pistols. This same class of feminintty would not be entirely free from molestaticn @ unless placed behind a cordon of police or surrounded by a number of Gatiing guns The sacred ties of wifehood and motherhood stand them no service in the time of temptation. They are simply lost to moral obligations, and they are generally the central figures around which the awful tragedies of life cling. They bring respectable families into the glare of offensive, disgusting publicity, and blight the life of many honorable man and woman with the incurabie mill dew of moral debasement.
 
 When such women exist they should not be permitted to furnish an excuse for the crime of any man. The ends of justice should not be subverted by the miserable cant about southern cahivalry.
 The best sentiment of the south should arise in its invincible might anil stamp out forever this fraudulent cry of ''chivalry,' when the herm is used only plea for desperate criminal deeds. If southern chiv- airy is only to be a cloak for murder, then let it be forever b,otted out from the minds of men. That form of chivalry which acquits the desperado is a clog and weight to the South! She does not need it any longer. But she does need, in some in stances, a higher sense of family honor, which will prevent a brother and sister from bringing upon otherwise upright connecton the agony that comes from publ lc disgrace.
 There should also be furnished by the courts of the country a protection for the reputation of helpless, innocent children. The branding of guiltless sons and damgh- ters with the ineffaceable work of infamy should arouse the true, genuine chivalry of the south to degree of indignation that shall make even more clamorous the de- mand for speedy justice and prompt execution of the laws of the country.
 BALL.