Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-26
THE GAZETTE.
SATURDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 70, lsa'
-
THE ROWDl.

1t is generally conceded that the abolition
Of that venerable institution. the pillory, TO
say nothing Of the whipping post. WAS IN Its
time wise and humane measure. To put
man or woman, who had been guilty only
of a trivial crime, up into frame before II
mob, there to be pclted with eggs, or other
wise insulted, was a most intolerable and IN
human punishment.
Yet, really, when we come to read our police
reports of the present day, we begin to think
that the best of rules may have its exceptions,
and that possibly the pillory itself might al
most be revived to advantage, since nothing
else seems to check some of the outrages
which 20 on in our large cities. BE it borne
in mind that in the days of our ancestors no
such vice as rowdyism, and no such wrctchcs
as rowdies or ''bummers," were known
Search through iogarth and you will find
no creature so vile, SO repulsive as regular
Dead Rabbit, Killer, or Blood Tub; nothing
which the law would seem excusable in pun
fishing in any way, or in crushing out of ex-
istence almost without much formula Take
one Of them as he stands at his corner-avi-
famous, disappearing, obscene, murderous
beast as he is, without an ambitious idea
above fight, without an exertion of intellect
above defying the law in some violent Or
sneaking manner. II kin lick you" is his
only reply to an argument-the reply which
every animal makes after its manner to all
which displeases it.
Every day or two We read how being OF
this description, a mere social Iahoo, amused
himself in some bar room by assaulting the
tavern keeper. by stabbing and shooting
and throwing decanters. Anon, party Of
them-seldom a single One-assault some
respectable citizen lust for fun" The last
century had its Mohaws among the dissipated
aristocracy, but it had no generally spread
element ofro,cdyism among boys and young
men who gave themselves up to an unutter-
ably degraded condition, not of robbery.
but of intolerable and infamous insult and
outrage.
There is another and higher class of rowdy
than this, to whom the attention of the police
should be far more strictly turned than it has
been, and for whom pillorying would not be
by any means too good. We refer to class
Of dissipated, flashy idlers, fast men, who
lounge at the mouths of drinking saloons in
fashionable streets, stopping the sidewalks,
or who walk about staring with all the inso-
lence peculiar to vulsarity and ignorance at
passers, and particularly at ladies. Some
of them are gamblers, some the hang
ers on of low places of amusement and a
few young men not without means, but OF III
curahly debased tastes. They are all part
of the great rowdy family, all live in coarse
debauchery, and are all intolerable nuisan-
ces.
1t would be we'll if rowdyism, or the lead
ing a riotous life offensive to order and deem
CIV. could be established as a crime and pun
ished-disgracefully punished-as SUCH
Very little is done towards rendering it re-
voting, or towards stigmatizing it as such.
Oflate years, its characteristics have however
been manifested so frequently in men occu-
plying high station, that We fancy there may
be some reason for this. So longas men OF
education can be found half taking silly,
foolish pride in being regarded as bowie
knitting, fire-eating characters, the ro~dy
will have plenty of social excuse.-Ih'lade(-
mia Bulletin.