Show TTIK WHITE CR9SS It appears that there is a society in existence known as The White Cross and that this order has been holding meetings recently in Chicago Something I Some-thing of the character and objects o this association may be learned from tha pledge card which each member is required cosign and which as follows THE WHITE CROSS Branch My strength Is as the strength of ten Because ray heart Is pure I PB03USE BY THE HELP OF GOD I L To treat all women with respect and en deavor to protect them from wrong and degradation 2 To endeavor to put down all indecent language and cosrie jests 3 To maintain the lau of purity as equally f j r bindingupon men and women j 4 To endeeror t spread these principles I atnaemj companions and to try and help my jouu eatbrothcrs 5 To use every pollute means to fulfill f the command Keep thyself pure The above pledges commend them selves tOiOresy gentleman tossy nothing noth-ing of Christians and outline what the conduct of every good man will be in regard to thesnbjecta towhich they relate re-late The third pledge To maintain the law of purity as equally binding upon up-on men and womerr may be regarded as o new departure An idea has almost imperceptibly grown up in society that while the laws chastity must be strictly observed by women any mistake they may make in that regard being punished by the severest ostracism men are given more latitude until indeed they have been granted a tacit license to indulge in sexual irregularities without its having the effect of disturbing materially their social standing and has not been a bar to their eligibility as husbands for others than the ones ruined bv their knavery That such a thins is altogether wrotg admits of no questioning ques-tioning It is a manifest injustice that a woman deceived by the villainy ot a scoundrel often seduced by fair promises prom-ises to commit acts of impropriety which blight her hopes and prospects for life should bear all the burden of the shame while her deceiver with impudent im-pudent face moves in the highest circles cir-cles of society without a blush for his conduct Nay more in presence of his boon male companions may even boast of his conquests over confiding innocence in-nocence Ad what is worse sail it often happens if the scapegrace is wealthy that matchmakingSnammas employ every art to attract the attention atten-tion of such men to their daughters and will give their innocent girls to the foul embaces of a lecherous and deceitful deceit-ful villain When society has reached such a condition as this when it can lionize a corruptor of female virtue and parents pa-rents seek to make him the husband of their daughters while it casts out as an unclean thing the victim of his damning arts ft is about time that societies were formed pledged to maintain the law of purity as equally binding upon men and women And if violation of the law of purity is to be punished with ostracism from good society on the part of the woman Jet it operate in like manner on the man for he is worthy oft of-t e greater punishment On a sincere repentance of the parties however and a correction of the evils arising from tbelrfault so far as correction correc-tion can be made by them society can afford to be merciful and not by acts of harshness drive them altogether to badness It is bad to see man and women fall from a state of purity but it is worse to see society close up every door against them that they may not return stations of respectability The pledges required of the members mem-bers of the society of the White Cross are good but there should be no need of organizing special societies to recognize recog-nize such principles as they should be both in theory and practice the laws of society in general |