The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-09-02
WaySide MeditatiOns
"Optinao'
subect Lines

as people that we grant to the
male the prerogative of debauching
themselves by association with lewd
woman kind, and then we with open
arms receive them into the inner
circle of polite society, and they
may select from among the fairest
and purest maidens, their wife.
In extenuation of the immoral &C
tions of the male we say: o we'll,
boys will be boys" let them sow
their wild oats. Yes, but did you
ever consider the fact that boys be-
come men and, perchance, fathers?
May we not trace much of our moral
degeneracy to the fact that our fore
parents have been criminally lax in
their moral Cor immoraD life? many
an individual has fought strenuous
but losing battle with evil propen-
stiles because of the fact that his
fore parents had transmitted to him
the virus of immortality. the same
increasing in its potency with each
succeeding generation until it burst
the bonds of undermined self-re-
straint and found vent in fragrant
abuse of the privileges and rights of
his fellow-men. With the natural
inclination to evil Common to US
each and alp he might have done
valiant battle; but when he must
perforce contend against the accum-
ulated moral perversity OF genera
tians agone, defeat is his portion.
Verify, The fathers have eaten sour
grapes and the childrens teeth are
set on edge" And again: The sins
of the fathers shall be visited upon
the children, even to the third and
fourth generation"
But the moral line is drawn closer
than the demonstration of immoral
ity by overt act. Messiah drew the
line taut and rigid when He said:
whatsoever looketh upon woman
to lust after her hath committed
adultery already" immortality
then, has its inception in the
thoughts; and the thought being
Father of the deed" acts as a torch
which ignites the fagots of passion.
AS man thinketh. so is he."
l have merely touched thought
here and there on this subject;
space forbids that we carry it to it's
final analysis. The boundary lines
between industry and mendicancy;
honesty and dishonesty; truth and
falsehood; morality and immortality,
are rigid and well defined. Any
laXity in the observance of these
laws is the fault of the individual, or
individuals, and not because of lack
of ruling regarding same.
There is an unseen monitor that
prompts us Alright when first we be-
gin to deviate from the line of NOR
al integrity. That monitor is con-
science; and is a faithful guide, do
we but lend listening ear and
heed it's warnings. But if we neg
lect, or do not hearken to the clar-
ion call of duty when prompted by
conscience, then the call becomes
less and still less distinct, until final
ly we are no longer troubled be-
cause of conscience debating to us,
but we are given over to a repro
bate mind with all the grief which
this entails. Hence, the necessity
for law, both moral and legal.
If we had confined ourselves to
the area of life within the boundar-
les of moral law,w would not now
be enduring the narrower confines
of penal institution.
1t is an individual matter with you
and me whether we remain strictly
within the we'll defined limits NJ
moral law when the great ou,side
world receives us again, or not. II
each and all of us we're to make
such resolution and faithfully adj
here to it, 1t would not be long un-
til our State Prison would become
beDlflcent industrial institution,
and the workers therein would be
honored citizens.