The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-03-28

not the tendency be for every weak girl ID
the city 10 ask herself the question: II she
ala these things and got away with II, ana
nov nourishes, why may not II
Il wish 10 raise the question here. IN the
light Of Gods truth, whether there Is any
moral standard at all now left IN New
York Cityi raise up my voice IN humble
winked at and accepted IN oaf city. They
are ruinous conditions. They are the same
conditions that blishted the beauty 81
Athens and Rome that made desert Of
aAcient NiheVeh. and that called down
upon sodom and aoaofrew the very fres
Of aod
"The anhoi, triangle Of husband, wife
and another woman II one Of the most
inehacins facts Of modern society. THIS
h the weiiaish universal theme IN the
modern novel, magazine and theatre.
"There is 20 much Of double living on the
part OF men to-day, that certainly, with the
Shonts case and in the face of other we'll
known conditions, we are needing some
thing radical here in New York. The
milionaires and the spoiled, pampered so
ciety women Of New York need once more
to hear the thunders of Sinai saying Thou
shalt not commit adultery The mere
gliding Of vice does not change its PERM
cious character. Vice is vice, whether
robed in rags and practised in hovel. or
robed in purple and practised in palace"
Thus the Rev DR.. Straton levels the
finger of Shame at Amanda Thomas and
draws his moral object lesson from the
Shonts scandal. Her notorious life with
her rich admirer did not shock many of
Shonts's~ friends, and was complacently
accepted by the distinguished lawyers
who obeyed his orders, took his pay-and
swallowed friend Amanda" with obse-
Quious deference
But DR.. Straton did not know quite all
the facts surrounding the unwholesome
scandal Of Shonts and his Amanda. Aside
from such personal friends of Shonts, who
most severely criticised" him and would
not tolerate Mrs. Thomas, aside from these,
Where we're also others who resented their
brazen immoralities. DR. .Straton did not
know that Shonts was made very uncom.
Portable many times and in many ways
Amanda. The moral standards OF New
York, at least in some places, were higher
than Rev. DR.. Strator feared they were.
In that same apartment house on West
End avenue and Eighty-third street where
Alfred, the butler, describes the episode
Of the opera seats-in that quiet home OF
Shonts and Amanda both Of them we're
given a rough jolt. 1t is an interesting
little story.
II was in 1913 that Shonts and the
Thomas woman decided to roost at No
400 West End avenue-a very comfortable,
modern apartment house. Mrs. Thomas
had no husband, and II was necessary for
her to give references to vouch for her
responsibility and ability to pay her rent.
For financial reference Mrs. Thomas
produced letter from Winans 4 May, OF
No. 749 Fifth avenue, real estate agents,
saying they were her present landlords,
and that she had paid her rent satisfac-
torily. This was signed by Henry d.
Winans
Next she produced a recommendation on
the etterhead OF Davis e. Sanford, photog.
raphers which declared that the writer
esteemed Mrs. Thomas as an altogether
responsible and desirable tenant and
woman OF good breeding and refinement
and added that her household was small.
quiet and we'll ordered. This letter was
signed John Caskie.
Here Il is interesting to note that Mrs
Thomas is president and manager OF the
""vls A. sanford photograph studio. Mrs.