Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-26
The Menken Question.

The hg-leat performances oi the uuoLuSu-
ing Menken have caused quite sensation on
this coast; and the question of their claims
to anything better than gross indecency, is
being pretty generally discussed. 1t is to be
hoped that their day will soon be over, and
their repetition frowned down BY 4 decent
public. Menken has had her defenders in
certain of the papers, but none so extreme
and over-zealous as a writer in the Golden
Era, whose effusions are signed sometimes
"Tessa Ardenne," and sometimes "Ada
Clare" specimen Of which may be found in
last Saturdays Era. A writer IN the S. f.
Journal of last Wednesday, rakes down the
"Ardenue" after this style, in which we fully
concur:
Miss or Mrs. Ada Glare, who is repre-
sented bv the Partisan Colonel Of the Golden
Era, to be a temiletoniSte-or perhaps, more
properly speaking, a temRSette, which means,
when YOU come down to common sense and
English, nothing more or less than wine
cask or half hogshead- made her initial
spirit-hght into the literary circles Of San
Francisco, through the Golden Era, last Sun
day. From the peculiar tenor OF her lengthy
article, resembling theatrical criticism, she
would induce the public to regard all those
females who have trod the path OF morality,
and devoted their lives to home-comfortS,
based upon fidelity and all those finer traits
of character which tend to make them akin
to celestial beings, as unworthy OF their sex,
and disgracing this sensational age with their
presence. Had Ada Clara written such a
g.. 9TH NJ
paper in the State save the Golden Era, her
attempt to poison the minds Of our wives and
daughters would have been immediately de-
tected and forthwith hurled back upon her
head with wholesome rebuke But FORUM
ately for her, she has succeeded in falling in
with those who never did nor never will COM
prehend the English language sufficiently to
discriminate between corruption and purity,
when either are expressed in fine words. For
any woman to so far overStep the bounds Of
common decorum as to tell our wives that the
only reason why they are faithful to their
husbands is because they are "nsenSible,
selfish, cold, self-righteouS, enviouS and un-
charitable" is to portray herself in the eyes
Of the world as being the most deprared con-
taminator that ever Sullied the atmosphere of
anv community with her venomous breath.
There was Il time when the Golden Era was
worthy the notice OF chastc readers, but that
period vanished from the chart of time when
Foard & Daggett concluded no longer to be
associated with brainless partners. Since
then, the Era has passed from an era Of wis
dom and decencv into an era of folly and
blacksuardism. \ joke or double entendre
NAV be tolerated in any paper, once in while,
when there are no particular evil ilresults like
" to spring from it; but when writer comes
out Aat-foOtcd, and upbraids the entire COM
munitv for being virtuouS, 1t is high time that
the medium used for such purpose, Ghould
be no longer countcnanced. OF late it has
been the study of the Era how to procure the
most sensational scribbcrs, and deprayed
minds to adorn its pages with senSelesS etfu-
s;ons, while columns have been devoted to
egotistical and outlandish putfs of itself and
its corrupted contributors.
Even Miss Menken, who is reported to be
slightly inferior TO heavenly spirits in mo-
raj sense, never so far violated the laws OF
propriety as has Ada Clare. Never has she
given utterance to such foul insinuations III
any article penned for public scrutiny, nor
rendered so gross an insult to her sex. What
ever she wrote was written with an air of re-
fined taste, while whatever she did was done
with grace, and in places where no one need
have seen her unless by their own desire.
But in Ada Clare's case, indelicacy has been
forced upon the public, and that too BY those
who ought to know better. The card Of
Ada Glare, which appeared in the Bulletin of
last Saturday or Friday, was enough to
stamp any man, who could write such athing.
as an unmitigated blockhead, TO say the least
of it; but when we bear in mind that the
ruling spirit Of the Era firm parts his hair in
the middle, we can but sympathizc with the
entire institution, and close with a dcvout
PRAYER for its reformation.