The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-08
PEOPLES FORUM
The Home and the Child.
Editor Firglnian:

protest against the law Tor Inc abatement OIL
houses of i'll fame, stating that the women Of
such resorts are feeble minded. He says moth
ing of the mental status of their co-partners in
the foul trade.
Must conclude they strong minded?
If So which is the more culpable?
In holy writ the strong are admonished to
protect the weak; then why is the finger of sc0rn
ever pointed to the poor fallen woman, and why
does society brand her outcast, abandoned, while
1t receives without question her equally guilty
6and more so If he be not feebe-ninded) part
ner?
The last Unites States census gives the amaz-
ing information that there more THAN eight
million unmarried men, seven million of them
being between the age of twenty and forty four,
that is to say on the sunny side of bachelor
hood There are girls unmarried, a million in
excess of this number.
Clean, wholesome human lives are a nations
greatest assets the value OF which rise In pre-
portion to the number of homes founded by
and women of this class, Joined in q
Homogeneous union.
Apart from the horrible fact that the social
evil is responsible for the suffering and invalid
ism Of many inoeent victims, thereby lessen
ing their efficiency as citizens, is there not an
other great loss to the wealth of the country
in the large percentage of its unmarried popu-
lation?
And is 1t not reasonable to assume that the
cause for such a large and growing number Of
unmarried persons is the growing increase in
immortality and vice?
Law enacted against the social evil as 1t exists
in segregated districts annuls the force Of It's
advertisement and also aids in the building of
sentiment against it, but law can be only a
crutch---an aid TO morality. This fostering sore
on the body social will not approach healing
process so long the fountain source of It's
vital stream is Initiated with wrongly conceived
ideals held persistently in the public mind.
For one thing, indeed, the fundamental basis
of reform in this matter requires a complete
change In public opinion which recognizes one
code OF morals for and another for won en-.
To effect this condition especially important 1t
is that parents and guardians should ever hold
up before the adolescent mind the single stand
ard of morals by which TO measure It's actions.
There is tone thing. but many, which make
for the attainment and constant possession OF
physical health. likewise for moral and spiritual
health
These three elements of mans nature are In
terdependent, and in the growing youth when
habits for life forming. attention must needs
be given to all in view of their relation TO each
other, If weu-rounded character is expected
to be formed. There is need for more emphasis
on discipline in the training Of child SUBJ
mission to which will develop generally stronger
will power
Every student Of the social evil now knows
that Its strongest ally is the accursed liquor
traffic. Foods and beverages which hlnduly
excite the human system, will weaken it's re-
sistance to physical temptation. Even an ex-
cess of meat or condiments, will make 1t harder
for youth to heed the moral or spiritual in
struction or admoniton his parents may give
What then. must be said of alcohol. which irri
tates and eXcites always and sometimes TO the
point of insanity when taken in large enough
draughts? This result of its is bad enough
but there is the narcotic poisoning in addition
which, OF Course in time deadens sensibiIity
to that extent that neither the mind nor it's
servant, the body, responds to the call of right
The voice of conscience grows fainter: the image
of God is sunken lower than the beast over
which he given dominion.
Parents pray that their children NAV he
made strong to resist temptations, but when no
response seems to be demonstrated in the lives
of their children, their faith in the efficacy of
prayer Is shaken, They fail to realize the fact
that they are trying to accomplish by PRAYER
| alone. what a rational exercise Of the intellect
in connection with 1t should do.
Are parents who pray, temperate In all things
az admomshed by the apostle so that their
children may be endowed with inherent uual-
ties of self-restraint? Does every father or
husband religously abstain from patroniziup the
brothel and the saloon and does he post him
self on the evil of liquor in all Of it's phases.
backing up his opinion with the power of the
ballot?
VIII fathers and mothers both he brave enoupb
10 break the bond OF tradition and custom
which has bound them to false ideas Of uodesty
in Withholding knowledge that might safeguard
their children? win mothers realize that their
conserving maternal instinct is given them to be
exercised not only during the years of helnIess
infancy and childhood, but also during the try
ing years from puberty to wel-established adult
life. when Influence and environment shouId he
OF the best, IL moral and physical harm il tn
be escaped.
Realizing their duty. hut finding themselves
Impotent TO protect their children outsida tha
home, from immoral contagion. they should seek
TO covet the one necessary and potent aid--the
ballot VIII all women, potential mothers rea-
lie that their maternal instinct, spiritualized
viii qualify them to love and protect all ~
earth's children, both big and little and that
they should not let this power decay for lack
of use, but use it in blessing mankind., then
they should lift their voices In behalf of the free
path that the best that be may be
The problem of livelihood the question of
existence weighs heavily upon many OF orr
daughters today. To help them live as women
not to live and vegetate, to make them eoual
to the struggle into which they have been so
suddenly flung, that 1t shall not cruelty
their womanhood and motherhood is a work
of civilization. Otherwise, sink into bar
barism.
Their parents Industrious and frugal vet
unable financially, to keep their children in
the home during the tender, impressive years OF
their lives or to allow the mother respite
from the daily grind of urgent duties 40 that rho
can be better qualified both by precept ana e.