Are We a Declining Race ? 



being as far from the solution as ever, the 

 situation in the meantime becoming more com- 

 plicated. We must strike at the root, for 

 real reform. Objections may be raised as to 

 the advisability of publishing such informa- 

 tion for the use of the general public ; but my 

 answer is that any vices not too vile to be prac- 

 tised, are not too vile to be denounced, and the 

 more vile they are, the sooner the painful duty 

 should be performed. 



If we knew that a deadly cobra lay concealed 

 in a beautiful garden that people were passing 

 through, we should not rest content with the 

 hope that the people might all pass through 

 without disturbing the reptile. We should first 

 caution the people, and then proceed to kill the 

 snake. The vices in question possess all the 

 subtlety of the snake, and are just as deadly 

 in their sting, so that it is our bounden 

 duty to caution people of their venomous 

 nature. 



Some may perhaps object, that the importance 

 / of the problem is exaggerated, and that chastity 

 " so far from being a virtue, is invariably a great 

 natural sin," and " the morality which upholds 

 \ virginity as the type of womanly perfection is 

 i unnatural/^ These statements have been made 

 i5y~~pe'?sons who appeared to be thoroughly con- 

 scientious. Others are possessed with the idea 

 that chastity has been the cause of many ail- 

 ments, and for the reason of this confusion of 

 ideas we have not far to seek. 



Chastity and celibacy are terms which have 

 frequently been used to mean the same thing ; 



115 



