Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-16
POPULAR ADJUSTMENTS.
A Card from Isishop NIcTyeIr 9.

i y
To the Editors of the Union and American:
My attention has been called to a neatly
printed circular, in the shape of a ''seasor
ticket" to Roller Skating Association.
1t contains the favorable opinion of an
eminent physician, and of the '1ndepend
ent" newspaper, and others, on this new
system of exercise. Also this: 5
'Read what Bishop McTyeire says:
''MR. EDITOR: Allow me to commend
to you and your readers the Skating Rink.
1t can--it should-substitut dancing a;
an exercise and amusement for the young
people of both sexes. 1t furnishes in
door, graceful, lively exercise, both mus
cular and nervous excitement, and leaves
no excuse for dancing. wish there were
Skating Rink in everyvillage and board
ing-school. n-Letter to Christian AdUo-
cate, ApriI 8, 1870. "a I. Is. E 80 Is ~
These sentences are correctly quoted,
but the brevity of the ticket, perhaps,
forbade the insertion OF sentence before,
and another after, the quotation, which
would have the effect of q qualification.
During the month of March I was detain-
cd in Chattanooga by missing the connec-
tion of the cars. Instead of day of
weary delay, kind friends there made it a
pleasant detention, to whom acknowl-
edge,nents are made; and in this connec-
ton the letter makes mention of what
was, to me, a novelty. 'sMrs. G. took
me to the skating rink, and her daughter
gave US specimen of skating, thirty feet
above the level of an ice-pond." Then
follows the quotation as above.
wrote of the Skating rink only as Z
Sdto it. had not seen one before have
not seen one since. The performance was
entertaining and modest; and, as in my
mind, the performers were increased to
a company of the same sort, | saw no
objection to it. in a moral or sanitary
point of view.
As a pastor, / have been accustomedssto TO
commend in the people suitable recrea-
tions and innocent amusements. They
are mental and physical necessity.
Hence l encourage May day parties, Sun
day-schOol picnics and reunions, and such
like, among the young-as having the
double merit of being pleasing, if not i'm
proving, and of keeping them from those
diversions which are vicious in themselves
or in their tendencies and associations.
Not long ago / advised friend, at the
head of large boarding school, to intro
duce the roller skating as more animating
and serviceable, under his control, to
young ladies, than listless promenades or
the calisthenics usually practiced.
But | have accounts, from various
quarters, of skating-rinks, and of things
seen and done in them, for which would
not ike to bear any degree of response
bility, a friend writes from another
State concerning some of these, stating
that certain persons have done me the
doubtful honor of quoting me as COM
mending them. Another said: "You
are published as approving it. / went to
the Rink, and was more than amused i
was shocked. Why, the immodest hand
ling of the person, between the sexes, is
even worse than in the waltz et.t y
How different this is from the original |
scene upon which the paragraph in my
letter is based, the candid reader will |
judge. And beg to denur, when the !
/ have written on the subject |
is quoted in such connection of evil. If |
the connection be legitimate, no alterna-
tive is left me but to Withdraw the para
graph so construed, altogether.
The definition of allowable popular
amusements is one of peculiar delicacy
and difficulty, as all Evangelical Churches |
have found. Sobriety and moderation
are not Characteristic features of the per-
sons for whom they are designed. Hence,
diversions that are innocent in themselves
may become harmful in their degree or
others are SO essentially
vicious, or inevitably prone to abuse, that