Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-29
SCORES
PROBLEM PLAY
DECLARES MODERN THEATER
SULLIES CHARACTERS
Claims Standard of Personal Purity
Should Be Same for Both Sexes,
This Would Decrease
Divorces

Dr. Charles Edward Locke preached
last evening at the First Methodist
Episcopal church. His subject was
Does man need to SOW wild oats
Is Josephs standard of morals prae-
ticable for today? Should men be as
chaste as Women?" Text: Can we
find such "A one as this is, a man in
whom the spirit of God is?" Genesis
41:3S, Or. Locke said in part:
Last winter in a vulgar perform
ance given in one of the popular the
aters of Los Angeles, what was called
the Josephnian standard of virtue was
ruthlessly ridiculed.
Joseph opportunity for success was
found in his integrity. He sowed no
wild oats. Prosperity brought to Jo-
scph his great temptation. The devil
was determined TO destroy that superb
young man. When Joseph's noble
character stood the test then the lying
and VenomOus tongue of slander as
sailed him, and angry Potiphar cast
Joseph into prison.
The wild oats theory was abandoned
long ago While the bird with the
broken pinion may soar as high again,
yet there are the scars, and there is
the ever present danger of falling
again. That there are any physical or
moral reasons why men should sow
wild oats is a meretricious invention of
the devil. II is better to be a formed
man than a reformed man.
should men be as chaste as wo-
men? The Bible standard of personal
purity is the same for men and Wo-
men. Men require that women shall
be chaste and pure. Men, vile them
selves, would still crush women who
have siuncd, and Christ still says, Let
him that is without sin cast the first
stc-lo. Neither do [ condemn thee, go
and sin no more
Standard OF Morals Not Too High
"The standard of morals for women
+. not too bi4n, indeed, it should be
still higher. III should be so high that
all respectable women would decline
To- attend those plays and read those
books which deal iH vulgar and las
oiviuus "Details which are unfit for
conversation about a fircsde. The
corrupt thyatnI today would be COM
PEELED to cleanse itself if women would
cease tnvF patronage. l never see
the crowds of women issuing from
the matnces iu the late afternoon all
bcsmattCrcd with the slime and foul
~ ~ ga 81 l 50 ~ 'l'I'AA pa
but ! fear for the future of the re-
public no woman can keep herself
pure in thought and attend the ordi-
nary theatrical performances of today.
What men require of women, wo-
men should i'm turn require of men.
Men and society Ostracizc the woman
who has fallen: and women and society
should ostracize the man who has
fallen. In the sight Of God a fallen
man is just as low as fallen woman,
They are equally entitled to our SYM
pathy, our prayers, and our helping
hand.
FRIVOLOUS but respectable young Wo-
men often condone the many breaches
of morals on the part Of young men.
When women demand that men shall
bring as chaste and unsullied charac-
ters and records to the marriage al
tar as the men require of the women,
there will be happier homes and fewer
divorces.
"The appalling fact that in Los An
geles courts there is one application
for divorce for every four marriage
licenses issued, and that two-thirds of
all the divorces are granted to the
wife, furnishes food for serious re-
Election, i'm the enforcement of the
seventh commandment, and for our
contention that standards should be
equal for men and women