The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-01
Address at w. M. u. by
Mrs. John T. Scott

department among our young women.
"No civilization can arise higher
than its women will permit" said an
eminent statesman. The truth and
wisdom of this assertion no one will
deny. 1t is fact that women set the
moral standards of society. They
have that power to raise or lower that
standard: to elevate it to a high plane
Of purity or to drag it to the depths
of shame. Statisticians tell US that
today women compose the greater
number of our church membership and
that they largely man our public
school system. Eliminate women
from these two great institutions of
civilization and the result would be
disastrous. They would totter in
ruins. Woman's influence in the home
can never be questioned. We know
that "the hand that rocks the cradle
rules the world" 1t is the finer vir-
tues, the sweeter graces of the moth
ers that are moulding our national
life. Coincident with such honors
come the gravest responsibilities. The
question Of moment to us: Are we,
as Christian women, are we as Christ
ian mothers, measuring up TO our re-
sponsibilities insofar as our daugh-
ters are concerned My subject indi-
Gates we are lacking: that some of us
are failing. That mothers are respon-
sible for offense in dress. speech and
department among our young women.
l fully appreciate the fact that my
subject is a delicate one and that if
l should do justice to it must speak
plainly. 1t is a delicate subject but
yet one that vitality affects us. We
like to look upon our young women
with pride, but we stand appalled, at
many Of the present day customs and
habits indulged in by our young wo-
men. / am forced to include not only
our girls of young and tender age but
yea, many of our mothers past the
meridian of life in the class who are
committing offense along the lines of
dress, speech and department. But
let us think on these things. Moth
ing so reveals ones character as ones
costume. 1t speaks of culture, taste,
modesty and refinement, or it speaks
of lack of culture, taste, modesty and
refinement. Time was when only those
women who peddled their virtue dar-
cd appear in public half nude, gaudily
powdered and painted. Today our
thoroughfares are crowded with wo-
men who are clothed in flimsy, trans
parent garments. The charge was pre-
ferred against our mothers and the
women of their day that they put ev-
erything they could get on their backs.
This isn't true today. The charge is
reversed. The shame is that the wo-
don't wonder at the increasing and
alarming numbers of crime, debauch-
cry, illegitimate children and fallen
women. The carelessness of women in
the manner of their attire has melted
much of it, and to this offense it is
directly traceable.
One morning last week stood in a
public building in this city and watch
ed the crowds come and go. A wo-
man of at least 40 years came In
dressed In handsome black silk suit,
so short it would hardly have passed
the censor as respectable bathing
suit at beach resort. l noticed the
conniving glances of several men and
was forced to drop my eyes in very
modification to think a woman had
so little respect for herself, for her
fellow women and for the God who
had created her in His own image. In
l Timothy 2:8-9 we are enjoined chat
women adon themselves IN modest
epparal with shamefastness and So
briefly; not with braided hair and gold
and pearls and costly raiment."
would not discourage style, but l
would demand decency in style.
Then again let us consider the Of
fense of speech. 1t seems to be fad
for our young people to use the COM
mon slang of the street. Nothing so
stamps a person as being common as
the use of such vulgarity. There is
also an alarming tendency toward pro-
family. To my mind the inability for
one to express his or her thoughts in
clean English betokers weak mind.
The English language is rich Ian
euage and affords us ample words
for US to express cur thoughts Ill
comely phrases.
Again there is the offense of de-
pertinent. This is directly due to lack
of training on the part of parents.
On every hand we see evidences of
disregard for parental control, disre-
spect for parents. This eventually
leads to state of anarchy. Home
training and home discipline are the
fundamentals uupon which govern
ment rests. Train up a child in the
way he shall go and when he is old
he will not depart from IL. Withhold
rot correction from the child"
Let us not shrink from combating
tn influences that are dragging our
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