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Welty, "The Need of White Cross Work," 1895
In all this I make no charge against the ministry; I simply state a
fact--sad, universal, alarming fact.
Somebody should speak out; somebody should tell the truth about
these matters. The work must be done and God will find people to do
it. If the ministry will not take it up God will raise up men, messengers
and workers, from the ranks of the democracy who will take it up.
The W.C.T.U. seeing the ravages of licentiousness, feeling the
power of unholy and unjust laws, like that of the double standard,
knowing the need of reform and painfully, regretfully conscious of the
silence in the churches, have felt constrained to take up the work.
They have added to their purity department the White Cross Branch.
They bid God-speed to all who are in the same work and extend the
hand of co-operation to all workers in this important reform.
6. There is yet one other evidence that White Cross work is
needed that should be mentioned in this place. It is the fact of the
indifference, false modesty, cowardice and ignorance among the best
people of the land concerning the nature, extent, power, threat and
actual mischief of licentiousness.
To-day, as of old, it must be said: "My people perish for lack of
knowledge. They do not know as they ought to know their dangers and
their duties. The great Apostle to the Gentiles, seeing the people in sin
and in ignorance, went to them, "warning every man and teaching
every man that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."
Warning and teaching are the two important things needed to-day in
purity work. To be well taught is to be well warned. Information here is
social salvation. "To be forewarned is to be forearmed." The people,
and especially the young people and the young men, need the
teaching and they need the warning, and for this the White Cross is
here. It seeks to arouse such a noble, beautiful chivalry as will lead
every man to treat every other man's mother as he wants his own
mother treated; to treat every other man's wife as he wants his own
wife treated; to treat every other man's sister as he wants his own
sister treated; to treat every other man's daughter as he wants his own
daughter treated.
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