The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-26
IS AMERICA DECADENT?
A Pesslmlstic View Of Social Tender.
cies in the Republic.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: "Ill
fares the land, to hast'ning ills a prey.
where wealth aocum,latee and men
decay" SO wrote Goldsmith in THE
Deserted Village" and in so doing he
cpitomized the national failures of man.
kind. IL ever this republic Of ours fails
1t will bc because OF the causes set out
in the quoted couplet.
And what say we OF our republic?
Let us take a look round. Let us be
fair and impartial In our survey. Let
us tell the truth even though we would
rather conceal II. Because OF the great
war this country Is now the recipient
Of great wealth, unequally distributed
great wealth. One of the two causes for
| the decay Of national life Is with us.
What OF the other! Are our men de-
caying? That Is an open question. There
are evidences of the decadence Of Amer.
| lean manhood. Everywhere one notes
domestic unrest the instability Of the
marriage union divorce, the national
evil the passing of the old time mother
M the passing OF the old time Amer
lean home. But. 1t may be said, these
are matters that largely concern women.
and not men. True. but our civiliza-
ton. like that OF every nation that has
given up and disappeared. will follow
It's women. AS the women OF a nation
go. so goes the nation. History proves
1t unerringly.
American women during the past dec
AIDE have made a decided retrogression
The woman of to-day who esteems her
self advanced, up to date, does not hes
tate to 20 anywhere unattended. likes
an occasional intoxicating drink. Will
readily swap questionable stories or
remarks. and will mix with men in any
kind Of n dance without any reference
TO morality. either in actions or In dress.
This advanced woman Is degenerate
from the standards OF our mothers. One
point about her is clearly so: hers IN
the most self-sa,isted selfshness. All
of the charitable, kindly. sympathetic.
home loving virtues of our mothers are
gone from her. She has little or no III
tere~t in children. To her the child
bearing mother is a slave. She refuses
to be a slave TO any man. She refuses
20 be that kind OF IA slave even for the
beneit of the American people. this
greatest humane democracy of all his
tory, or for the benefit of Old Glory
She is free, and the limits of her free
dom are bounded by the demands OF
her own personal comfort.
The nation may live or die. the race
may come or go. this country may stand
or fall. the greatest democracy of all
time may he threatened from within
but this kind Of woman cares nothing
about it she Will not be deprived of her
pleasures. She disports herself. decked
In finery and jewels. utterly obllvious OF
the always existing fact that close at
hand misfortune, disease and abJect
want demand humane attention. Her
policy is her own pleasure, first, last
and all of the time. More than that.
her d.a OF Christianity and femininity
seem to be merged In the pagan proposi'
ton. Eat. drink and tie merry. for to-
morrow W. die"
Taxing stock of this q pc Of woman and
the home she wrecks, what Is the meaning
TO the nation as written In the lives OF
men: The birth rate proves that the
race is gong back. Back Bay. Boston.
has more pet dogs than children. Mer
are dy Ing out. The poor Immigrant WHO
battles his way to our shores rears (,
family the descendant of the older fam
lies rears nothing. and adds nothing "a
the welfare or life of the nation. Thus
the woman drags down the man. and
proves herself a menace 10 society. Thus
the men Of America are dcca wing, the
great American nation IL disintegr,t!ng
and It's only hope is in the sons of the
immigrant. the despised SONS Of a rug
ged pcasantry who have come to our
shores. attracted 10y tn. light OF liberty
and the hope to worship God accordins
20 the dictates Of conscience.
MAY the God uf our fathers preserve
this nation out of the melting pot %
a great homogeneous people may tn,
most worthy elements survive. to the ems
that unearned wealth and unwortlIy
women may not PROMPT the fate OF an.
cIent Rome 70 eclipse and forever blot
out this the noblest effort OF mankinj
in the form OF a government OF the PEG.
pie BUNKER HILL.
BosToS, Mass, February %.