The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-04-15
Social Problems.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL. On
the plains of the Dakota once dwelt a
happy family, though the wife's parents
were not happy because this young cult
ured wife had deserted the luxury of the
parental mansion to marry the humble
peasant of her choice. The youthful
wife, just from college, gladly cooked
for threshing crews to aid her husband
in building home. The production of
food from the soil was not disgraceful
occupation in her estimation.
Prosperous years passed, but the ad-
vent of beautiful daughter and son did
not hinder the mother from being sick
and needing medical treatment. Taking
the daughter she went to hospital in a
neighboring town. The father and son
remained on the farm, going often to
the hospital to visit the mother and
daughter. After a few months the
mother recovered, but the doctor, sin
gle man, needed someone to superintend
the culinary department of the hospital.
The mother found in this position more
money and less work than on the farm.
Once the best talent of the nation was
to be found in the country. 1t is some
times still stated by men high in society
that cities would vanish from the face of
the earth were it not for the constant
movement each year from country to city.
Doubtless more healthful surroundings
give to the country child more vigor than
he would possess if reared IN the city.
Once the true feminine heart would have
stood firmly by the husband of her choice
though he spent all his earnings in strong
drink and allowed his family to suffer
for the necessities of life. Now the
mere opportunity to live more easily and
sumptuously is sufficient excuse for vio-
lating the most sacred duties of life. The
father continues to spend few days
occasionally at the hospital, A raise in
the mothers salary widens the chasm
between her present position and farm
life. The father is not adapted to any
thing except farming, so it is an absolute
impossibility for him to provide for his
wife home such as she enjoys at the
hospital. Must he toll on alone as long
as his wife will condescend to give HIM
an occasional smile from her city home?
One night when the father was pres
ent at the hospital the doctor was out on
professional duty until past midnight and
on returning raped at the mothers door
asking for something warm to eat. By
complying with this request the husband
declared that his wife was more atten-
tive to the doctor than she had ever been
to him and applied for divorce with no
other grievance than desertion. Who
stole that wife's affection? That wife,
who had been the most affectionate and
devoted of wives and mothers, had been
led away by love of ease and luxury. 1t
was not a case of intentional stealing of
affection on the part of the doctor, for he
afterwards married the daughter. Who
did the wrong? A wrong undoubtedly
resulted, and many hearts were made
sad. 1t was breaking up of the social
unit called family into its ultimate atoms
or individuals.
Is this the trend of society? It works
as great change in society as is wrought
on wood when it is burned. The SUBJ
stance still remains but in entirely differ
ent form and relations. This is condi-
ton which has arisen since Bible times
and we can hardly look there for direction
unless we refer to those teachings in
regard to man and wife clinging to each
other. On this ground the wife did wrong
in not returning to her home as soon as
health permitted, as everything possible
was done there to promote her happiness.
But there was more work and less money
on the farm than at the city residence of
the doctor. Many man does toll on
and by the most strenuous muscular
labor support wife in luxury.
Moral standards are wanting. Neither
pastor nor layman dares express an
opinion for fear of offending somebody.
The life and vitality have gone out of the
church when fear of offense smothers
the truth. Jesus dared to say that the
Fathers house should be house of
prayer but has become den of thieves.
The world needs men of the Billy Sunday
type; men of action and frmness of
character; men who dare to call things
by their right names in the common
everyday language of the people. The
thousands of unemployed should he
taught lessons of thrift and economy
that they might save in prosperous days
against time of need. The laws which
favored the concentration of unused mill
lions in the hands of a few individuals
should arrange for its proper distribu-
ton by means of inheritance taxes. The
Jews were required to be taxed one
tenth of their income, If one-tenth of
the nations income were today distrib-
uted among aged and needy, the physical
needs would all be supplied. 1t would
be unfair to take from the thrifty and
give to the idle, but pensions for the aged,