Page:Randolph, Paschal Beverly; Eulis! the history of love.djvu/134

Rh and the surrounding suburbs, there are more than two hundred thousand females, and quite as many men, living, openly or in private, lives of shame and sensuality. The same causes are operating in New York to-day that led the citizens of San Francisco, years ago, to form vigilance committees, and for the same purpose, viz. to correct intolerable evils, and to purify the political and social atmosphere. Marriage and employment would have a tendency to check this fearfully growing evil. The better portion of society must look to it, or this element in their midst will rush by a pathway of ruin to restore the equilibrium, for they cannot wholly escape the dread influences and effects.

There is the revolting sin of fœticide, or infanticide, the tendency of which is to ruin both soul and body, sunder, the bonds of pure love between the sexes, and send our most promising young women and wives into premature graves, spreading a gloom dark as night over hearts and homes that should be bright with health, joy and happiness. It is trying to checkmate the Infinite God.

There is a plan whereby much of this evil may be obviated. I am aware that it has been tried, but never in right-down earnest in these States; or under municipal surveillance. I refer to the establishment of Matrimonial Bureaus, under sworn commissioners, and direct care of Public authorities. So far all such affairs have been in the interests of money-seeking panders and procuresses, and to afford better facilities for supplying men with victims and mistresses, and bagnio-keepers with ruined girls. There are scores of thousands of both sexes without any chance of finding mates, and they are rushed to ruin through "Personals" and blind advertisements; and in trying to sail toward honorable marriage, run straight upon the reefs* of social vice, and are forever lost. No one wants to lie bad; no one sighs for harlotry or libertinism; and no one prefers a life of shame to one of honor and respect; hence it is the duty of the State to take measures to prevent all such false steps, and establish bureaus wherein women, and men, too. may find suitable mates, and establish decent, comfortable homes, instead of filling bagnios, gaming-hells, jails, prisons, syphilitic hospitals, and premature graves. All of us have human hearts and human feelings, and we