The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-17
militant Church. Must protrr, MnrrInvc.

Pal'ners Spring. Va
Militant Church Must Protect Marriage.
TO the Editor of The Times Dispatch
Sir In view OF the violent opposi-
clean Inatringe RESOLUTIONS OF the
diocesan councils OF the Episcopal
Church in Virginia and the display OF
ignorance on the part OF those oppos-
ing the action OF certain OF the clergy
III accord with the resolutions. II might
he well TO point the general public 10
several plainly written papers on the
subject OF the harmiuluess OF veneral
disease. Very fortunately there are
some books on the subject so plainly
written and so free from tccE nic"lit!es
that "a child would understand them. Il
would be well Tor every layman ana
Clergyman 70 read the chapter in
entitled The First Necessity. and 10
read from cover TO cover Lmyinia Docks
a wise little book by Winfield :. Hall.
called Reproduction and Sexual Iiy-
eicne. which would repay him who
reads it carefully and remembers it n
thousand fold.
l wish 10 refer the public further to
certain statements relative TO speci,nlG
of his Text Book Of Practical Gync-
cology;' and to certain Statements
''Prac,ice OF Medicine" and to Kelley's
chapters on sterility ana gonoccus in
I lection in his Medical iynecOlogy."
/ News for January g and 90 1899. there
/ appeared the remarkable paper of Al
I bert Weisscr, OF Breslan, on society $
question. The report OF the committee
OF seven to the American Medical Asso-
citation would repay reading. Further
more / would suggest 10 the opponents
! of the clean marriage movement that
/ they go and seriously discuss this mat
( ter with members OF the medical fra
/ tcrnity. ! think some enlightenment
/ would ensue
The committee of seven, in its report
/ to the American Medical Association.
4 says that so per cent of deaths from
female pelvic disease are due 10 infec-
ton from loathsone disease. and DR..
/ Winfield S. Hall. in his book above re
! ferred TO, says, 1T IL claimed by spc-
/ calists in this field that al least 90 per
cent OF the operations that women are
! eases Of the pelvic organs are the re-
/ suit of infection" from this disease.
These statements refer alone 10 the
trouble and misery which come TO wo-
men from marriage with infected males.
on the subject OF infants. whose af-
nictions can be directly traced 70 , In
I ture. our first concern is, however,
with the Injustice to women
should I not go forward to correct this is
crime is far, fetched indeed No more
powerful weapon has eyer been plac d
/ clean marriage" resolutions. Since
when did the spirit of Christ become
subservient to the state that His min
Of mercy? The church. if she will.
may point the way tor the state: she
may show the State how to accomplish
what has heretofore failed Of accom-
! plshment. The fear of driving couples
to. civil marriage seems TO haunt the
minds of those who dissent" what
possible difference could II make If
/ such people do have civil marriage?
AT least the church and her clergy
would know that they had not further
! travested n sacred rite and made hol-
low mockery of an honored blessing.
! The church and her clergy may con-
tinue to bless but a great deal OF
/ their blessing returns to them in curses.
| down to the lives and hearts of people.
I think that they will be somewhat
surprised Facts. indulitablc facts. have
been produced and yet we have the
, singular phenomenon of men whom one
would suppose would see both deeply
and broadly still trying to bless where
they fear to hurt tho delicate feelings
| OF men. Frankly, | cannot believe they
realize What they are DO, doing gro 81, They Gy
,loom" about a so-called injustice to
men of pure and upright lives. OF the
demand for a certificate OF freedom
| from communicable disease of immoral
origin, but these men themselves seem
to be pitiably silent for time when
! such hardship Is being worked upon
them, and shall have to wait until n
themselves before | believe that they
are not being used by the disscnters
only as means to an end.
civil marriages taking place in Rich
mond since the LIST of January are
| figuring rather conspicuously in the de-
| Tense of the diSsenters, Ii might be
well for someone to go to the City
Hall and carefully examine the record
! or these marriages and SEQ IL any OF
these parties would. in the natural