Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-26
is KISSING HARMFUL?
Opinions Expressed on the
Question Pro and Con.
ANTIosCULATION BAND FORMED.

ciety Organized In Oakland, CAL,
Claims Practice of kissing Is Nor
ally and Physically Bad-Nevv York
Society Women Say the Kiss Is
RejuvenatOr and Its Adjustment
Would Disintegrate the Universe.
If kissing be abolished it will disinte-
CRATE the universe.-Mrs. Cornelia Stew
art Robinson.
New York believes in OSCILLATION. 1t
admits it not only on the basis of Gus
tom, but on the ground of ethics. 1t
finds an economic excuse for the prac-
tice and defends it as an expression of
good taste, always allowing for the fact
that there are kisses and kisses, says
the New York World.
Agitation on the matter was precipi-
tated by the announcement of the re-
cent formation Of the National Anti
kissing Society of America in Oakland,
Cal. 1t has already 100 members, who
declare themselves "of sound sense"
who are pledged to abjure all forms of
the kiss, from the amatory to the per
functOry, for the rest of their natural
lives.
They renounce the pleasure and graft
fication to be derived from the use of
the art of OSCILLATION, commonly known
as kissing" from a ''heroic desire to
promote and preserve the health and
freedom of the human family general
ly"
The president is *. [. Sweet and the
secretary NJ Farley. A local secretary
will be appointed for all branches, for
its organizers are positive that the
world has only to learn of the evils Of
the kiss, physical and moral, to at once
assume Il muzzle or its equivalent-a
certificate of membership in the Anti
kissing society. A S. Rutherford of
Oakland, who is the general secretary,
explains the mission of the society as
q cause" The antikissers take them
selves seriously. He says:
1.-THE practice of kissing is a menace
not only to the morals but to the
health of the community Through
promiscuous contact of lips disease is
spread, and the evil effects of such
marks of affection cannot be estimated.
Then just think what a shield against
temptation an antiOscuIation pledge
must be. With such an ironclad reso-
luton as that in his pocket man is
proof against the wiles of a Cleopa-
ira"
1t has remained for New York wom-
en-, however to discover two aspects
of the case that the "antis" have ap-
parently never considered. One is the
relation of kissing to the whole scheme
of nature; the other is its effect as
beautifer
kissing said Mrs. COrnelia Stew
art Robinson, the well known social
economist, when asked to discuss the
possibility of Il New York branch, lis
one of our oldest social amenities. 1t
did not come into being without rea-
son. 1t could not be killed without
disaster The law of psychic attraC-
ton is the provision of Mother Nature.
1t runs through her entire plan. The
kiss is its highest expression. Abolish
it and you disintegrate the universe.
''To treat the subject economically,
if it be true that the microbe is fos-
tered by the practice of kissing its
cessation would put many physicians
out of business, and the pauperizing of
the medical profession would be seri-
Gus consideration"
1.-The kiss said Miss Emma Fields,
the actress, more than all the cosmet-
les in the shops is a rejuvenator. The
French proverb. The lips which are
often kissed never grow DID, describes
the case exactly. y woman wants to
know she is lovely and lovable, and no
words can convince her of that fact so
thoroughly as n we'll timed kiss. 1t is
her natural right. The child and the
woman were made to be kissed. l once
heard man declare that the best gift
a woman could have was to look kiss
able and broadly that seems to be the
opinion of the sex.
eff we could abolish the society
kiss, which means nothing, 1 should
favor an antisOciety at once. But as
for its bad effect upon health, do not
think the microbes transmitted in a
kiss weigh against the pesSimism and
premature old age of those who Ian
guish for kisses that they never re-
ceive."
Mrs. Belle De Rivera of the New
York Equal Suffrage league said: kiss
ing is a relic of barbarism. We shook
our enemy's hand originally to discov-
er that he had no weapon concealed.
The promiscuous kiss is the thing to
go. but the abolition of the entire prac-
tice might have a political signii-
canoe"
''It is the habit of kissing in public
and the kissing between women on ev-
cry occasion of a social sort that call
for an antisociety," said Mrs Harriet
Ostrom of the West End Republican
club. "In my opinion, the French
fashion of kissing on the cheek should
be adopted"
"In the matter of kissing" said Mrs.
George Studwell of the Professional
Woman's league. 1.-The 'antis' have
more to contend with than they reckon
for. There are. for instance, the people
born in the month of May, who are
supposed to be constitutiOnally inclin-
ed to this expression of their affections.
1 believe that those who are not in
clined to kiss the people they are fond