The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-04-03

~ SMALL ripple has lately sim
mired over certain ultra cliques
r. of New York, wherein hysteri-
cal women with the reform
and morality faint badly dis
tributed organized a club constitut-
ing themselves a band OF moral
censors whose approval or disapproval
would set the seal of responsibility or
condemnation, by clinching an ostra-
,cism that would stamp an indelible
disgrace.
People who are too old or ugly to
run up against anything like tempta-
ton deserve no credit for being good.
They simply never have the chance
TO be anything else, consequently are
not as good as they are negative.
When a band of old women who
have outlived sensations, inclinations
and temptations or anything that
leads to naughtiness attempt to pose
as censors there is something an
tiqUely funny IN the tout ensemble
that smacks Of self-righteousness
rather than Of religion.
Now, these ladies had a fatal at
tack OF fits. spasms or anything in the
hysterical line and sought to sit in
judgment on sinners whose peccadil-
loes offended their pious nostrils. OF
course, divorce was the first and
mighty evil they sought to eradicate.
a few obsolete spinsters with barrels
of money. who had never wrestled
with matrimonial problems, chOked
81 a tobacco atmosphere or been
sighted by hubby who cared more
for his newspaper at the matutinal
meal than for the presiding goddess
thereof, thought they would know all
about matrimony with its variations
OF heaven and hell, and it's duels Of
dual clashes and sought to regulate
the social family by such strenuous
measures as would drive divorce out
OF business and the divorce to the
dark dismalties OF .'innocuOus desue-
.tude." but the divorce was not born
TO blush unseen in any such dreary
hermitage.
The first obligation pledged the
members TO absolutely refuse to re-
ceiVe. and ignore peremptorily, any
person or persons having been di-
vorced and remarked during the life
time of the ex-Darti. No consid era
ton of the guilt or innocence of the
n.rty in question was involved; IL was
an arbitrary death clinch against not
only the unfortunate DIVORCE, but
carried the additional pledge not to
recognize in a social gathering any
divorced and remarked person nor
TO exchange civilities with any one
who did.
OF course the ladies organizing the
club were most devout Christians,
r r.1o Of
money. who, never having known
temptation or sorrow, know not what
st means. There may be lots Of Chris
tianity in such a move. but ] fail TO
find the deep humanity that loves its
neiehbor as itself.
Society in New York, particularly
the real creamed- butter pastry crust OF
*. covers a pie rich and juicy with d.
VOrce and its intermezzos, it's presto
change. and one woman who figures
largely in religious and charitable
cliques felt the sting direct, as her own
daughter had figured in one OF the
most sensational cases where marriage
followed within nine minutes and fifty
nine seconds after the signing of the
decree. Churchmen of every creed had
been importuned TO be in readiness the
moment one trouble was shaken TO
seal her to another. Be it said to
their credit, one and all refused, SO a
civil officer having less conscience and
more greed Of fees made a mockery
Of a ceremony that should be held
sacred,
However. the question was: Should
the mother subordinate her religious
beliefs to her maternal instincts or the
contrary? and she Indignantly with
drew her name from the club role az
infringing personal rights and oppos-
ing the most sacred prerogatives OF
motherhood.
II many other mothers had the same