Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-16
SOCIAL DISEASES WITH NO
KNOWN REMEDIES.

s,wa HE NATIONAL REFORM AsSO-
citation, (incorporated) has called
a great meeting in Portland June
20. Among other things it will
discuss is: "a Sober Nation:
The Destruction of the Saloon" and
Suppression Of the White Slave Traf-
fic. There will be several other sub.
jects, but if the association can settle
these two great matters, it will have
about all it can do; and probably more.
To express it in the classic English Of
these modern days, the association
''has bit off more than it can chew, "
in these two problems alone. As to the
evils of white slavery, there can be no
difference Of opinion. Sexual vice is
the greatest curse with which humanity
has ever been afflicted. immortality of
this class has wrecked homes, broken
hearts, brought sorrow and grief anl
shame, is bringing them daily unto
thousands, 1t is a problem as old as
humanity, one that has been up for so
luton since the dawn Of history, and 1t
is no nearer solution now han it was
5000 years ago, or 100000 years ego, if
man was on the earth then.
The wisdom Of all ages has dealt with
it. Laws innumerable have been pass
ed to stop it. Press and pulpi5 have
lifted their voices against it vo,iferous.
ly and persistently, The fathers ylead
ings and the mothers tears, havs been
mavailing, useless. Nor does the evil
stop with shame and sorrow ara dis
grace. It's effects are not confined 10
even the generation guilty of immoral
practices, but they are handed down to
the childrens e children, in tainted and
diseased blood. It is claimed that 60
per cent of all humanity--all civilized
humanity, is tainted in some degree
with disease duo to tho vice of some Of
their ancestors Surely the problem is
great enough to command, as it has for
centuries, the attention of the world
win it ever be stoppedH
In view of the situation after thou.
sands of years of dealing with it, the
only answer seems to be, NO.
The whole situation is caused by the
dual character Of civilized humanity.
Man is first of all an animal, and un.
bridled license, is the rule in the ami.
NAL world. The only difference be.
tween tho other animals and the animal
man, in this connection is that, among
the lower animals the female is in a
sense universally virtuous. She steps
from what might be called tho moral
path only to that degree that is neces.
sary to the perpotuation of her race.
She performs but a race duty The fo.
male Of the human animal, is not built
that way, and therein lies the unknown
quantity in this social problem, that the
wisest Of human mathematicians have
been unable to discover On the other
hand there is unbridled license amGy
the malo animals Of overy genus, iuclul
ing man.
As distinguished from this animal
man, civilization has produced the arti
ficial man, the man intellectual, the
thinking, reasoning animal with q
knowledge and perception Of "good anj
evil, q" A man whose eyes have beer
opened to a different and higher life
than that of tho mere animal. Civiliza
tion has created this artificial person
and is ondeavoring to substitute 1t foi
the real animal. II is trying to sci
aside the animal characteristic, the
brute instinct, or to make IL subsoyvi
ent to tho intellectual man. Truly al
hcrculean task, for it is controverting
Nature.
There are many, aud the very best Of
citizcns, too, who realizing tho apparent
hopclcssness Of preventing this socia
evil, advocate its control. Thev reaIit,