Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-10
Bishop spaIdins Is Severe on Woman
kind

Right Rev John Lancaster Spalding,
bishop of Peoria. ILL.,, delivered the con-
ference sermon before the annual conven-
ton OF the National Federation OF Cor
rections and Charities at Detroit. Mich
last summer. He made a bold and start
ling statement when he uttered in this
annual sermon the following words:
"If women were more serious, large
minded, intelligent and loving three
fourths OF the depravity and sin which
make life a curse would disappear. The
fountain head Of social good or evil, Of
vice and crime or OF honor and virtue
is In the home end the wife and mother
make or unmake the home"
Is this 4 Veritable statement Of facts?
Is the wife and mother responsible for
three-fourths Of all the social evils, OF
vice and crime-leaving out the admitted
proportion OF good and honor and virtue7
This right reverend Catholic bishop
generally clear-headed and truth-speaking
has laid IL too heavy on the backs of
womenkind when he credits the wife and
mother with three-fourths OF all the evil,
vice and crime; II your scribe has any
clear vision wi--tever on this subject, and
speaking for women.
IL would be full measure TO allow half
or less 10 the mothers and wives of this
country in my humble opinion. To be
very frank the one-fourth might be fairly
shifted around TO their credit and the
three-fourths placed elsewhere. 1 will
leave this question 20 any half dozen
fair-minded men OF our acquaintance,
those who deal justly and reason fairly,
and viii speak honestly and after giving
them opportunity 20 look over the homes,
with which they each and severally are
acquainted, and they may say who is more
earnestly solicitous for the welfare of the
individual family. the father or mother,
the husband or the wife, No woman
need to speak in this controversy and the
decision shall stand. 50 far as am con-
cerned. / am wiling for the truth to APP
pear.
I grant you that many women are friv-
olous, Iight-minded, not wise and hard
hearted. and the proportion between men
and women in such classes may not be
easily set down in figures; nevertheless
believe IL 10 be true and as irrevocable
as gospel truth. that the stability Of any
civil government depends largely upon the
innate affection OF the woman for her
child-a fielding that is nearer akin to
divine love than any other known TO. this
earthly existence. This implanted love for
her child viii make her bear a thousand
individual Ills and evils. II she can see or
hope for some future benefit 10
her offspring. It is doubtless
the earliest STRINGS of this divinely
makes a woman who has half a chance
in life true TO her marital VOWS and anx-
ious for a clean, peaceable life.
II should. never be forgotten that wives
and mothers ave had ancestors, botn
male and female. From this mingled an
cestry they have inherited many things
which may be good or they may be evil.
It Is supreme nonsense to say that the
father has handed down only one-fourth
Of the evils or diseases which crop out in
the offspring and the mother has sup
piled the three-fourths. That sort OF logic
WIN soon come to grief unless one can
know the end from the beginning and
watch results since creation: in a word.
can be omniscient.
Family resemblance is generally equal
~ distributed between children Of some
father and mother. Why should moral
resemblance be. laid with such heavy
hand on the mother, when the father
shares facial traits at least equally with
her I'm family OF children?
The Right Rev. Bishop was doubtless
separated from womanlxind In early life
when he decided to become a non-marry-
ing priest OF the Catholic church. II he
had ever watched the average mother
I'm her daily family lire with the self
abnegation that attends maternity and the
seIf-sacriiice that goes with mother love-
he would have been more charitable in his
estimate OF womenkind.