East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-01-15

We are just beginning to under.
stand that of all the ills to which the
human race is heir, the greatest is
the social evil 1t breaks up more
homes, wrecks more lives, DESTROYS
more happiness. causes more physical
distress than all other ills combined.
It is as old as man. 1t had its begin
ming when the world was young. and
all along the path Of centuries can be
seen the wreck Of human lives the
consequence,
We are living in an advanced age.
The day has come when certain bar
riers that stand in the way Of human
progress must be removed. This is
the business of the social hygiene So
eieties which are being organized in
every part Of the country. This So
ctety stands for the elimination of the
social evil not By legislation but means
Of education and moral teaching We
believe the causes of the social evil to
be.
First, the false notion as TO the
double standard OF morality. For this
notion society is responsible When
society holds a man responsible for
his conduct in the same way It holds
a woman responsible, and when it de.
mands the same standard OF purity
and right living on the part of man
that it demands Of woman there will
hn 1aEg Of tho social avs;T
Second. another cause is the con-
spiracy of silence with which the
whole matter Of sex relations has
been surrounded. We have been pos
sessed OF a sense Of false modesty.
We have thought that ignorance is in.
nocence. 1t is no use to argue that
children know nothing Of sex mat
ters-they know much that they ought
not to know and they know it in the
wrong way Many parents show lit
tie concern where their children get
their information about the most i'm
portant facts Of life but the children
get it.
Third. another cause is the ignor-
ance Of the general public concerning
the physical consequences of the So
cial evil. If mothers knew the un-
told suffering and mental anguish
that is awaiting their pure, sweet dau-
ghters who are to marry the boys who
are now sowing their wild oats. they
would take greater pains to protest.
There is not one girl in a hun
dred who receives from her mother
the instructions she needs concern
ing the laws OF life and her relations
with men. Many a girl is lead to the
altar innocent Of the dangers that
lurk in the path Of the married rela-
tons
Girls go wrong because they are
not properly instructed in the home
Because there are no condolences be-
tween mother and daughter Because
the home is not made cOngenial tC
her. Because she cannot discuss with
her mother the delicate question.
which naturally confront her as shr
( develops into womanhood The in
( formation which she should get from
her mother in a reliable confidential
way she gets from older girls in q
/ low and suggestive manner.
When the mothers Of Pendletor
spend more ume in cu!tiyating the
/ condolences Of their daughters and in
making their homes attractive to then
there will be fewer girls seeking the
less desirable associations.
When the mothers Of Pendletor
take as much time and pains in es
tablishing in the minds Of their dau
ghters lofty IDEAS Of life and Of moth
erhood as they now take in less i'm.
! portant matters they will have bet
ter girls and the coming generation
will have better Mothers
Much Of what the speakers said wa
not intended for the general public
In a manner that met with the ap
proyal Of every mother present. thel
gave instructions on How to Tell th'
Child" and How to protect the child
from the dangers that lurk in th'
pathway of every growing girl an'
boy.