The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-07
ADVOCATES TWO STANDARDS.
PRIEST SAYS SHOULD HE DIF-
I'ERENT MORAL CODES FOR
MEN AND WOMEN.
Father McMcnamin says That Women
Should Raise Men ami not Men
Lower Women. Which Would BE
Result of Single stanaard-ShouId
be Temperance Society OF Women.

Ihe Following report OF a sermon b,
Father Hugh l.. McMenamin. one O
the greatest moral thinkers east o.
the Rocky Mountains and "a near rela,
tive OF Mr.. Neill O'Donnen of thi.
CITY, has been received by The Item
with reque. to publish. It. will nc
doubt be of interest to many OF the
readers of The Item and IL is therefor,
reprinted.
TWO standards of conduct. one fol
men and one for women. were advo.
Gated from the pulpit of the Cathedral
OF the Immaculate Conception at sol.
emn high mass yesterday morning by
the Rev. Father Hugh L.. McMenamin
pastor OF the parish.
Drink was made the chief division
point. and the woman who drinks in
public places was branded with the
scarlet brand and classed as unfit fol
man to marry.
Il breathe a prayer" he said. "tha,
the double standard remain. fol-
should IL be changed by the woman
of this generation. II would not be by
raising man to her standard, but by
being dragged down TO his"
The congregation. crowding the
great church to the doors. sat breath
less as Father McMenamin dashed
with the whip OF oratory the modern
woman" and her tendency down
ward"
Ilmes was he began, when /
considered the question OF sobriety or
temperance from the standpoint OF
applying II to men only. but that was
In the DAYS when men only frequent-
ed barrooms-in the days when for
woman TO frequent "a place where
intoxicants were sold branded her as
a creature OF the underworld-in the
days when barrooms were not digni-
nee by the names cafe. restaurant.
tavern and the like-in the days of
the double standard.
I'VE hear a great deal in these. our
days. about the double standard. 1t
In undoubtedly true that "a great many
are Influenced. led on. perhaps un-
consciously. by the sophism and false
principles OF the age. which condones
immortality In man end makes mere
respectability his coae OF conduct, but
holds aloft to woman the sacred laws
OF Christianity-which judges the
enormity OF the sin by the sex OF the
transgressor. as II. forsooth, sin had
sex.
Now. whilst we abhor such a con-
dition OF things. we maintain that
there is and ought TO be double
standard from another viewpoint-a
double standard not OF morals, but of
conduct.
Talk as you will about equal
rights and equal privileges--and
granting IL all-you cannot deduce
therefrom similarity of duties or sim
ilarity of conduct.
When God created man and wo-
man. he made them the compliments
or supplements of each other and so
fashioned them that one supplied
what the other lacked. Consequently,
we find "a marked difference in them,
difference that Is not only physical.
but mental and tempe samental. and
because of this difference it always
has been and IL always will be unbe-
coming In woman to do many things
that man may do with propriety.
Men may argue on street corners
and mount a soap box to discuss busi-
ness. politics and war with greater
propriety than may n woman. Men
may crowd an arena and howl them
selves hoarse as two naked, painting,
bleeding human brutes pummel each
other into insensibility with greater
propriety than may a woman.
Men may--and here Is the point
drink intoxicants I'm public places and
grow glib OF tongue with more proprl-
ETY. than can a woman.
why did God give to woman those
fire sensibilities. that higher moral
tore. those loitier ideals, those gon-
tier aspirations. IL II be not that she
.'hould set the standard after which
We should shape our conduct?
We have right to- demand IL oi
hc' and she has "A duty To see that We
do not demand IL In vain.
Mind, | speak only OF conduct. no,
morals. and the woman who demand.
Sr ilarity of conduct with man. viii
seldom or never rise above his stanl-
ard Of morals.
women rail against the double
standard Of morals. and lament tn,
fact that sin is more readily condoned
IN inan than in woman. Whilst Ia.
menting the fact with her. breathe
IA MI H..