Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-11-04
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| parents. But her brother insisted that
only by her death could the family
honor be cleansed, and when the un-
happy girl refused to commit suicide
the brother stabbed her and then re-
ported his act to the authorizes, fol-
lowed by an admiring throng.
This is the result of old world ira
dition, and very mouldy anc ancient
the ideas are which underlie it,
1t is the groundless and foundless
theory of mans superiority over
woman in making two codes of moral
derelictions mere incidents in his
career, and one which renders a lapse
of virtue on her part a. crime to be
paid for only by her death.
This double code of morals has kept
morgues and potter's fields and insane
women full for centuries; it has been
the rock in woman's path to progress
1t has hindered many a weak
wtlled but good and loving -souled
woman from turning from her one
error and living a worthy and useful
life afterward. 1t has caused the
creed Of Christ to be a mockery in
thousands of churches founded in His
name, yet violating His words to the
Magdalene: go and sin no more 1t
stones the woman sinner with stones
of cruel words and scornful glances.
1t is a theory which has been put
before the world by men and main
tanned by them. In the Ola World 1t
still prevails, but in our own land,
thanks to. progress, the erring woman
need not commit suicide to prove TO
-3ciety chat she is repentant. She can
join the great army of the world s
workers and make herself useful ana
compel the respect of her fellowmen
and women.
scars of her mistakes since it is her
nature to feel greater remorse than
man feels for his errors; it is seldom
she reaches the point of boasting OF
her sins and follies as he is prone to
do. But the avenues of labor, and for
getfulness are open to her here, and
as nowhere else in the world; and the
freedom of her environment helps to
sink her mistakes under the DiIlows
or time. Meanwhile in America, as
nowhere else on earth, men are pe-
ginning to be made to feel ashamed
of licentious conduct.
Recently two men of wealth and
high social position were ostra cized
by clubs and driven from. society for
betrayinS two young, trusting girls.
At seashore resort a young man
found himself coldly received because
OF some unsaVory escapaGes in which
he had figured. So little by little the
two codes of morals are being welded
into one.
Men are coming TO realize that
something resembling decency is de-
manded of them, and women are
coming to realize that one false ssep
does not deprive them of the right To
live and work and repent.
Suicides from despairing love and
bitter sorrow will continue to occur
as long as women of intense tenn
peraments and weak will-power con-
tinue to exist in the world, but when
a woman wants to live and begin life
over the whole world VIII in time
reach standard of enngnLenme ent
and humanity which will render such
situations as the ole under discus
sion impossible.
America has taken the first steps
forward in this new code of morals.
and older lands will gradually follow,
as in all other reforms. Tt will pe
slow. as great reforms in thought al
ways are, but it will come as surely
as the change has come which makes
the burning of witches and the
branding of the Scarlet Letter impos-
sible to-day.