The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-10


Certainly Il would bs iiumfiaAtsnx To
these VINO cunid not sAce III. Sst wh4i
hum alton there would he TN sfhA
opportunity which . man might
grasp to prove for the woman he
loved that his life had been AZ pure
as hers had been. It IL not given N
to see. 1t 10 true. OF course, that
the medical examination might eeem
superfluous TO the pure man, but II
he is something more than meanly
selfish, he will not arrogate his claim
to exemption In the light Of the fact
that a general acceptance of Its pro-
visions is necessary to carry out the
general requirement for the sake OF
the general good. In the original
announcement Of our purpose. we con-
cluded with these words: And we call
upon all that great number Of men to
whom because of their pure lives the
requirement we have outlined might
seem needless Inconvenience to bring
the power Of their unselflsh co-opera
ton to the side OF this endeavor to
make more commanding the ideal Of
purity of ALL. We think greatly
enough of the young manhood of
Richmond to believe 1t will respond to
that challenge.
There follow, in the published
protest Of our brethren, three related
Elections. The first is that no ply
stefan can tell certainly that man
is positively free from the diaeAses TO
which we have reference. 1t is true
that there always will he margin
Of uncertainty in the average certin-
cate, but II is also true that in the
great number of cases, according to
the testimony OF the most eminent
physicians of the city thc disease in
r,en who marry and infect their wives
could have been certainly discovered.
Quotes Noted Surgeon.
A surgeon in joint control of one of
the largest hospitals in Richmond
said: Women are dying of thcse
things. If you could save one year
you would have accomplished a great
thing. Since when has the single
body and the single soul become so
insignificant in the eyes of Christ and
Of Christ's ministers that coolly we
must refuse to save some because per
chance we cannot save all?
The second of the three grouped
objections is that the fee for medi-
cal examination would he prohibitive.
That is not true. The figure quoted
is the charge of specialist for the
well-to-do. Anyone who knows the
physicians In this city knows that a
physician to whom poor man came
for examination would not make his
charge prohibitive If it were prohibi-
tive. [ think i can speak for all of
us who signed our original pronounce
ment. that the medical examination
is made possible.
In the third place. the men who
are protesting against our stand de-
clare We cast discredit on the medi-
cal fraternity. because Of our require
cured from the brides physician
We are casting no aspersions; we are
simply recognizing truths. We know
that the great body of physicians here
are such men-~high and true and
rhre--as make their profession glort-
Gus. We know, too. that here as
elsewhere. there must be in some odd
corner some iow-principled man
whose professional title is only cloak
for charlatanry. II is TO make II i'm
possible for some low principled,
wouId-be bridegroom TO seek out the
rare low-principled physician that we
have made our requirements what we
have. We have put the issuance OF
the certificate In the hands of the
brides physician because he is the one
whose herolsm will guard its validity
r1ost scrupuiously.
The Final Objective.
Finally. our protesting brethren
declare their belief that IL our re-
ouirement is put In force. men who
wish to be married will 60 TO the
magistrates court. In reply, we reg
lister our belief that IL they go. they
will 60 alone. When the rising indig-
nation against the double standard of
morality grows greater and greater,
as II Is growing every day. there will
with difficulty be found women who
according to our brethren's argument