Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-22
KISSING WAR
LAUDED BY
PAS 7 Or
Counting Is Divine, but Hugging
in Dark Corners Is Device Of
Lothario, He Says.

In an outline made for The Geor
CLAN on the subject he will discuss
from his pulpit o-morrow-"The
Battle About the Marriage Altar
DR.. John E, 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 dalllance with the
heast-courting is the thrill Of manly
love. the assertion Of conscience over
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 an
animal basis in love affairs. The mad
drift toward immodesty in dress the
Increase Of conversations holiness
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 the
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 a disposition not to regard
it seriously. We smile. joke about all
the matters leading to marriage The
sexual relations are made a sport for
the gayety OF street corners The peo-
pile are suffering tragedy after tragedy
and deep-seated 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 chivalry es-
poused the cause OF monogony. The
next battle was fought when religion
assumed to safeguard the sacredness
Of wedlock as a religious relation.
we have now come to time when
both chivalTy and religion seem to be
receding from the marriage altar.
Getting married has come to be re-
garded as scarcely more than a per
sonal episode.
Science Fighting New Battle.
"A new battle is to be fought. and
science has come to fight it. ! think
religion ought TO go in and help
science restore to the public CON
science and the sacredness Of marital
relations as the necessity Of the social
order and morality.
We have fresh evidence Of the evil
influences which are undermining the
family and the home in the recent
exhibition Of loose moral thinking on
the subject Of young men and women
meeting at dark places in the night
Gay and festive gentlemen have come
forth to advocate 'spooning Politi-
clans and other learned opponents Of
public morals have combined in an
assault on the police force in behalf
Of the downtrodden 'spooners' of the
land
1T is new philosophy Of court
ship to the effect that young people
have 10 get acquainted with each 9TH
Ell on their way to marriage, and tina
the decent and proper thing is to
meet In the gloomy recesses Of q
public building at or near midnight,
where they may be safely secreted
from prying eyes.
CIamor Avails Nothing.
Now that it is over what has al
the clanor against the police force on
this subject amounted TO-" so far as
the display Of virtuous Indignation
10y the politicians Is concerned It mas
of course. meant nothing except to
Continued on Pass Z. Column ,.