Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-07-01
STANDARD OF SOCIETY

Since the time OF recorded history
there have been rules for the gov
eminent of human action. The Bible
has been taken as a guide. The stat
utory laws are of human origin and
may be imperfect. But all of the
laws, divine and human, are made
human laws one is statutory and the
human laws, one is statutory and the
other the law of custom.
Society must be protected from the
evil doer, and for that reason there
are rewards and punishments. There
are degrees of crime necessarily. But
the basis OF good law is that each
member of society shall have due re-
gard for the rules of common de-
cency. No one is expected to be per
feet
Good society in community needs
care, protection and cultivation. The
law against highway robbery, break
ing and entering and kindred offenses
do not injure an honest man. He is
not afraid of jails and penitentiaries.
The places are not made for him.
But they are made for him who would
disobey such law.
The moral, truly religious and up
right man does not feel that the laws
governing the moral action of citi-
zen are oppressive. The laws against
fornication, adultery, rape and kin
dred offenses are made for the pun
ishment of those who oppose decent
society. If the laws fail to reach
such criminal the law of customs
must place it's indelible mark of dis
approval upon him who has offended
both the divine and human law.
There was time when Negro So
ciety was heterogeneous mass.
Fornication and adultery were I'M
known to either the statutory law or
the law of custom. A Negro living
and presumably married on one plan
tation might form the same relation
on mother plantation a few miles dis
tant. No record was made of either
marriages or births, and deaths pass
ed unnoticed. Bigamy was unheard
of so far as the Negro was con-
cerned. In other words, the home Of
the American Negro was destroyed.
1t would be hard to find in sacred
or profane history, a people who have
been thrown into such chaotic con-
dition as has been the American.
The task before the whole American
people is to build up the home. The
home makes the church, the govern
ment, as we'll as good and decent so
cety.
There are occasionally men who
break into decent and orderly socie-
ty who are stepped in RIGHTEOUSNESS
and immortality The man with home
and wife. boys and girls, should pro-
tect them from such a character. He
would protect them from yellow fever,
cholera and smallpox. Why not pro-
tect them from the charlatan and, for
nicator? In one case they may meet
a physical death, and in the other a
moral death. The duty of the hour
is to make a seasonable stand for the
maintenance of orderly and decent So
ciety, and every father, brother and
son who respects womankind must do
his duty, That which will not injure
a man will cause a woman to be So
cially ostracised.
There is long standing disposi-
ton to place all negroes in one So
cial scale This is caused by the
fact that the negro has not made a
suitable standard. When it has been
proven beyond reasonable doubt, in
an impartial court, by competent
witnesses, that any negro has been
guilty of wrecking homes by immor-
al practices it seems compulsory that
negro society should declare itself
and do its duty for it's own protection.
These licentious gentlemen are bold
and arrogant and attempt to lead the
negro in some communities when
their private character will not bear
inspection.
While at the same time their nat
ural and acquired ability are not up
to mediocrity, and they do not make
money enough to clothe, feed or edu-
cate themselves.
Only few days ago young man
was sent to place to room by one
who was supposed to know him and
could recommend. He talked of
church and Sunday school work and
attended church In a few days he
was missing, and along with him
went many valuable things about the
home. .. ,s
A great deal was said about who
recommended this young man. Yet
it lis infinitely worse to have or at
tempt to hold an ostentatious young
man, of known immortality, up in
church and social circles. 1t is bad
for the young and the old
There should be a standard made
and kept for the upbuilding of home
and society. Hypocrites, charlatans
and libertines never yet and never
will form Che basis of good society,
but they give bad name often to
good men and women.
President Roosevelt said: LET us
be decent"
Chas Ruff.