The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-14
DR. LANDRUM ON DIVORCE.
Talks of a Man Who Married One Woman
and Then Loved Another.
Atlantic Journal.

Aretas, king OF Arabia, was neglected,
insulted, outraged, sent home, thrown
into the face of her royal father as OF
no more value than cast-of shoe.
Herod's woman, on whose account he
was rebuked by the Baptist, was also
Of royal extraction. She was the
granddaughter of Herod the Great,
and became the wife of her own uncle
Philip. It is significant, l take it,
that whatever may have been the de-
pravity Of her character, the woman ia
not denounced. The preacher pillor-
led the proper person, the man. Wo-
man may fall but it is well nigh uni
versally true that the man is to blame.
Certainly no virtuous woman sacri-
fees herself voluntarily. Frail, silly
and temptible, some may be, but the
world has yet to hear Of an instance
where pure woman planned the moral
destruction of man. Man takes the
initiative. It is the man who throws
the tolls about the weakness Of con-
6ding girl aud drags her innocence
and virtue into the mire Of sin and
degradation.
ssSociety as at present constituted
furnishes conditions which are unjust
to the woman and partial to the man.
It has two codes, one for woman,
which is very high, and another for
man, which is equally low. The man
may commit any social vice, and be
forgiven; the woman never. He may
betray woman under promise Of
marriage, and remain gentleman in
good society, so-called, but the be-
trayed woman is ostracized, driven to
a den Of infamy and hurled into hell.
Women go wrong usually because de-
ceived. They are approached by sly,
hypocritical seducers, who profess un-
bounded admiration and attachment,
and in that way excite confidence and
love. Or women go wrong because Of
vanity and love Of dress and ease,
which they cannot obtain by their
own efforts. Sometimes they err.
Working women because their pitiful
wages are insufficient to support them,
and scoundrel takes advantage Of
their necessities.
CAUSES OF MORAL LEpERs.
"Again drugs and liquors break
down female moral stamina. Idleness,
bad books, lascivious pictures, pro-
miscuous and immodest dances, COM
bine to undermine modesty, self-re-
spect and innocence. Youths Of both
sexes, are ruined every year under the
sanctity Of the United States mails.
By means Of it the most Infamous
wretch may send the vilest matter to
the purest boy or girl. Children Of
all grades ,of society, institutions of
learning in all sections Of the land,
and the most select homes, are invaded
By the evil Of licentuous literature.
Advertisements lure many to ruin.
Add to all these sources Of female
degradation the lax domestic govern
ment that prevails in two many Of our
homes. Add to this the low view Of
marriage. So long as money and not
merit and manhood, 80 long as wealth
and not moral worth are deemed the
most desirable element in marriage,
just SO long will the sacred ceremony
be an unholy trade, and the party who
marries for money and not love is lit
tie removed in character from the
Cylian.
HEROD IS WITH Us.
Herod and his victims live among
us to-day. How they need our pity
and help. Now and then their shame
comes out in the public prints. They
seek a dissolution of the marriage
bonds as if of right. Many times
more frequently the victims wither
away and die Of broken hearts without
disclosing the cause Of their uDspeak-
able anguish. In some cases the vic
tins Of mans brutality become de-
moralized. They declare war against
the sex, and with devilish cruelty and
craftiness set traps to ensnare, to rob
and destroy as many men as possible.
He'll has scarce fury worse than the
woman who, condemned by society,
has determined to "get even" with
society by dragging down as many as
possible to her abysmal depth.
"It is the duty of the ministry and
Of the church Of Christ to stand
squarely up to Gods law on the sub
ject Of marriage. 1t is union which
can be annulled only by the hand Of
death or by the perjury and in6delity
Of the contracting parties. Divorce