Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-20
KISSING WAR
LAUDED BY
DR.WHITE
Counting Is Divine, but Hugging
in Dark Corners Is Device Of
Lothario, He Says.

In an outline made for The Geor
gian on the subject he will discuss
from his pulpit -morrow-"Tht
Battle About the Marriage Altar
DR.. John Z. White, pastor of the Sec
ond Baptist Church, Saturday vigor-
ously attacked "spooning" such as
that described in recent incidents
which have stirred Atlanta.
In the course of his statement he
made these pointed comments:
"SpOoning is the exploit of the Lo-
thario--courting is the glory of the
true lover"
"spooning is dalliance with tbs
beast-courting is the thrill of manly
love, the assertion of conscience ovel
lust, the ennobling engagement OF
honest souls.
THE most sinister foe of happy
and prosperous marriage is the ten
dency running like a tide toward al
animal basis in love affairs. The mao
drift toward immodesty in dress, the
increase of conversational boldness
and the breaking down of the barriers
of sexual reserve can but bear fruit
of social misery"
Marriage Vital to Society.
Here is DR.. Whites statement.
Marriage is the most vital of So
cial actions, the key to the future OF
civilization in this country. 1t is tbs
most serious and influential engage
ment of human life, the point of de-
parture for society's moral prosperity
or moral disaster.
And yet the public manifests con
tinually q disposition not to regard
it seriously. We smile, joke about al
the matters leading to marriage. The
sexual relations are made a sport fol
the gayety OF street corners. The peo-
pie are suffering tragedy after tragedy
and deep injuries every day
because Of our loose dealing with
matrimonial subjects.
The first battle about the marriage
altar was fought out as men emerged
from barbarism, then chivalTy es-
poused the cause of monogony. The
next battle was fought when religion
assumed to safeguard the sacredness
of wedIock as a religious relation.
I'VE have now come to a time wher
both chivalry and religion seem to be
receding from the marriage altar
Getting married has come TO be re-
garded as scarcely more than per
sonal episode
Science Fighting New Battle.
"A new battle is to be fought, anc
science has come to fight it. / think
religion ought to go in and hell
science restore to the public con
science and the sacredness of MARTA
relations as the necessity Of the socia
order and morality.
we have fresh evidence of the evi
influences which are undermining the
family and the home in the recen
exhibition of loose moral thinking or
the subject of young men and womer
meeting at dark places in the night
Cav and festive gentlemen have come
forth to advocate 'spooning.' PoIiti'
clans and other learned opponents Of
public morals have combined in al
assault on the police force in behalf
of the downtrodden 'spooners' Of the
land.
1T is a new philosophy Of court
ship to the effect that young people
have to get acquainted with each 9th
er on their way to marriage, and tina
the decent and proper thing is t.
meet in the gloomy recesses Of
public building at or near midnight
where they may be safely secretet
from prying eyes.
Clamor Avails Nothing.
''Now that it is over, what has al
the clamor against the police force OF
this subject amounted to? So far a!
the display of virtuous indignation
by the politicians is concerned, it has
of course, meant nothing except t
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