Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-03-27
Worldwide
Condemnation
OF q Gilded
Civilization.
,S7s152S1S2S2S2S1S1S2S2SS;

Society times are surely out oi
joint. There is weeping, wailing and
lamentation from all four quarters
/ of a gilded civilization. Preachers
philosophers, and the serious press
are banded together in a league oil
reproof for the frivolous, and neeC
it be said that the frivolous are al
ways of the sex commonly known as
gentle. 1t is the old cry OF 20 Lord
the woman thou gavest me-" but in
this general turmoil of reprobation
1t Is the woman alone who is calm
and unheeding. She goes lightly and
unrepenting upon her way of pleas
ure and she deviates neither because
of the philosophers scorn nor the
admonition of the preacher.
Here, for instance, is Doctor Quack.
enbos. When the worthy doctor finds
! that time is hanging somewhat heav-
lily upon his hands, he fills in his
spare moments by benevolent de-
nunciations of the world, the flesh,
and the devil. OF course. this un-
holy trinity takes no manner of no
tice, but the doctor himself gets into
the Sunday supplement and is there
fore able to wash his hands and to
feel that he has done his whole duty
to sinful generation.
Doctor Quackenbos says that So
ciety women drink. He says nothing
about society men, so We may assume
that they do not drink at all. Meth
er does he say anything about men
and women who are not society"
SO that they also are, for the mo-
ment, immune. Why Doctor Quack-
enbos should concern himself about
women who are not his patients 1t
is not easy to understand, and the
less physician says about his pa
tients the better. He says he had a
lady patient whose weekly bill for
champagne was 500, that school
misses and college girls are among
the throng of women drinkers, that
the tendency of the average woman
Is to go to extremes, and, still worse,
that In many cases the patient deep
down in her heart" did not want to
be cured of the habit and that this
fact is especially true of the rich So
ciety woman"
Now, we wish to speak respectful
ly of the medical profession when.
ever it is possible to do so. and this
is not always. But we must con-
fess to deep distrust of the medi-
cal testimony that is exploited through
the Sunday supplement. What should
we think of the priest who arraigned
society on the strength of his expe-
riences in the confessional, or who
related the admissions that had been
made to him under the seal Of such
a confidence? What should we think
OF the priest who used his vocation
as some doctors with the disease of
cacoethes soribendi use theirs?
Doctor Quackenbos means well.
There is no manner of doubt about
1t, but he has the mental obliouity
OF the expert. 1t is quite enough to
say that the majority OF people are
weak willed and unable to resist
temptation that it is in their power
to crafty. Weak-willed people who
are also rich naturally take advant-
age OF opportunities that do not pre-
sent themselves to others who arc
equally weak willed, but not equally
.rich. That is the whole situation
in nutshell, but we may make the
further concession of admitting that
women who have lacked the tonic of
the worlds adversities and conflicts
have less well-defned sense of that
enlightened self-interest that teaches
a man the safe and the unsafe dI.
rection Of self-indulgence. But to talk
as though society today were acting
differently from society at other
times is pure moonshine. The world
has always been fairly full of foolish.
vicious and vain people who follow
their inclinations according to their
abilities. These people are acting
now as they have always acted and
always will act, but they have no
power to bring the world to an end.
TO wreck civilization, or to impair
seriously the value of those other per.
sons, rich and poor, who know that
individual strength comes only from
self-restraint.
A somewhat similar complaint
comes from London. but this time IT
is emitted by a woman. Lady Vio-
let Greville says that London women
are drifting toward the condition of
AFFAIRS in New York, where the men
work all day and the women mean
time amuse themselves" This dire
suggestion is caused by the way in
which women are locking to bazaars.
concerts and matinees. Lady Gre
vile does not say that they are
drinking, but perhaps she reserves
that for some subsequent ttvade.
In former days." says this social
chronicler, women went to the thea
tres with their husbands or broth.
ers or sons. Now women are seen
going to the theatre every day. eth.
er alone or with other women. Al.
parently they have nothing to do and
always have plenty of money. How
do their husbands like the new ar
rangement, and how is the money pro-
vided for these things?"
That women should do things now
. I-A A.