THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6484, 29 August 1882, Page 3

THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,—Common sense teaches that a. pure Parliament means a pure people, and yet the unreflecting constantly parrot forth the threadbare sophistry you cannot make men moral by Act of Parliament. Well sir, men are made frightfully immoral by Act of parliament, at any rate as is clearly proved by licensed IniQuity of various forms. "Health" should have known that the above Act dots lead to increased "libertinism." It is hailed by the hopelessly depraved of the "unfortunates" a* the best possible protection to their vile traffic, whereas others of the same class, more sinned against than sinning, have committed suicide to escape its shameless provisions Auckland, a city of yesterday, with its handful of inhabitants, must be a sink of iniquity indeed if such an Act is necessary even to the unreflecting. As to the ' weight to be given to the opinions of medical men, the less said about it the better. Doctora differ, and only make confusion worse confounded. Can "Health''give tho name of one single man of "large philanthropic views" who has recommended tho adoption of the Act. I know of nothing else compared with it, that so clearly proves how cruellr onesided most men are when the gratification of their passions is imperilled-of nothing elso that so loudly calls upon women, if innocence, truth, and goodness are dear to them, to fit themselves to tako an intelligent interest in life and its duties, seeing how unjust to women the men can be who make our laws. Oh, if I had but a Christian people to appeal to, it were easy to prove that Godlika morality has no sex, cannot be onesided; that to pollute the national soul by cheapening womanhood is the deepest prostitution of which degraded humanity is capable. Pollution of the body is nothing to it. I . believe in Christ my Lord, and because he fiays it, I know that we can be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. Hence, I look for Christ in every man,! and see—l will: tell you some day what I see ye cannot bear it now. As for myself, my very tins, repented of, forsaken,. do .but quicken the ChiUt-lifo within. ' From Htm r learn, that virtue not vice is happiness; that we can and must oontrol every unlovely passion ; that brutalistd womanhood now, will assuredly mean brutalised sons and daughters presently. Whin men believe in Christ, they will be like him, for they will see Him as He ia.—l have, J>UTT AT ALL OO&ZZk