The gold leaf., 1910-09-08
kinston Free Press.

Our attention has been called again
to the subject OF an 'equal standard
of morals" The international
Council ot Women" has adopted a
demand for such a standard ofmorals
and the demand is just and right.
Womanhood has advanced long
way since the dawn of history.
Woman has become the central figure
OF civilization, and the noblest and
best ideals and human characteristics
are preserved and transmitted from
generation degeneration through the
woman who is always really-how-
ever it may be nominally-the head
OF every well-conducted home.
However, there is one disadvantage
under which woman yet labors and
that is she does not stand as mans
equal before the law in the con-
sideration Of social problems. Men
and women ought to be bound by
the same code Of morals.
Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett, presi-
dent Of the National Florence Critten-
ton Mission, in discussing the subject
of an equal standard has this to say,
and her remarks are worthy ofspecial
consideration:
"In adopting a single standard OF
morals. the International Council OF
Women has adopted the highest
standard Of morals. We do not ask
that the woman who lives in sin be
permitted to step upon the platform
where her guilty brother now stands,
but we ask that he be made to step
where she stands and to take his
place beside her. We ask it for a
great many reasons. l shall only at
tempt to point out to you a very
few.
"We ask it first because OF the in
justice OF the double standard. You
say, Injustice to women?" No, |
say injustice to man. ] would rather
be a member of the sex today, who
when she sins against the law OF God
and her nature, has to walk the
streets, than be a member of the sex
who holds his head high and feels
that he has done no harm. Punish
ment is purifying in its effect, and
therefore | say that among the lost
women we meet there is still some
thing nobler in them than is found in
the same class of men.
eve ask it, say, for it's injustice,
because many a time by the hard
economic conditions in which we live
women are driven into a life OF sin by
necessity. We never knew OF man
to make such an excuse. Many a
woman goes into life OF sin to find
bread to eat and the necessary clothes
| to wear.
owe ask it because of It's untruth-
fulness. There is no such thing as q
double standard OF morals. [ stand
here today just as much the repre-
sentative OF my fathers morals as !
do my mothers, and so it is with
every man and woman in this room
before me. We often hear people
speak of the fact that in the present.
day and generation, drunkenness
among women is increasing and |
hear with an alarm that statement,
because | fear it is true. AS | travel
around it seems to me ] never saw so
! many well dressed women sitting in
restaurants ordering up the drinks
early in the morning and at nights
but want to ask you, what can we;
expect when so many OF our fathers
In the past were drunkards? 1t is
not surprising that we are today
having drunken daughters as we'll as
drunken sons. The father is just as
much the father OF the morals OF his
children as the mother is the mother
OF the morals OF her children. And so
It is a lie, and we have but one stand
ard. The question is shall it be a
higher, or shall it be lower stand
ard? because it is going to be one
standard.
ave ask that the double standard
be done away with because of its
danger. Sociologists speak OF the
great danger OF the scarlet woman. ]
wish that ! could make every one OF
you feel its danger as | feel it, but
want to say to you that az great as
the danger OF the scarlet woman be,
still greater is the danger from the
scarlet man. You say why do you
make q statement that is not borne
out BY truth? 1t is borne out by
truth, but the great difficulty is that
We have not had our eyes opened to
see this truth. | can show you why
the scarlet man is more danerous
than the scarlet woman. We know
that the scarlet woman stays with
her kind. Generally there is a COM
munity-there is part set aside in
which she Is in sense confined as
prisoner. There is no such condition
of things existing 80 far as the scarlet
man is concerned. The scarlet woman
seeks her kind; the scrlet many
travels the world over. He can carry
his insidious poison, both mental