The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-24
The Evils OF tho Centennial.

The Evils OF the Centennial.
What apity it is that no blessing comes to
US unattended with misfortune. Even the
pleasure with which the Centennial Ami
versary Of American independence is contem-
plated is alleged with Notifying reflections.
We shall miss our ancestors, who cannot
enjoy the occasion, and we ourselves had no
part in the event to be commemorated. The
absence of the dead and the presence Of 50
many of the living will cast o gloom over the
proceedings at Philadelphia. Gould we have
Washington there 1t would be all right; but
we cannot Washington is gone, and there is
no one who can ell his place.
Another evil Of the Centennial is that it en-
courages hypocrisy among old men. The
demand for centenarians is greater than the
supply. We may approve the motive but not
the prudence Of General Hawleys secret cir
cular to the Governors of the States asking
each Of them to furnish the names of not less
than fifty men who in 1875 will have reached
the age Of a hundred years. We have not seen
this circular, but understand that General
Hawley offers to supply free transportation to
the Centennial Exhibition to all centenarians
and to entertain them as the nations guests.
We shall soon have thirty Eight States, which
would give US about two thousand old
men, Of o hundred years each, whose
united ages would give them common natal
date at period B. O. 1t would certainly be
q thrilling sight, that Of regiment Of these
venerable relics, wearing the old Continental
uniform and parading grandly in the presence
Of the assembled nation. The last age would
be reviewed by the present. and one century
would look down upon them. 1t is noble
idea which General Hawley has conceived,
but can it be executed? We are afraid it
cannot 1t is unlikely that there are two
thousand persons in the country who will be
in 1876 a hundred years old.
The effect is already perceptible in the wide
Generalization Of the aged community. Old
men who were, but few years ago, winking
at the girls smiling with ivory teeth upon the
conquered fair and gayly tossing back the am
brosial locks of their luxuriant wigs have now
changed their ambition. They no longer aim
to be young, but wish to be old. The young
buck Of seventy no longer delights in being
the successful rival Of his grandsons, but as
pires to competition with his grandfathers.
Antiquity has become enyiable, and the sol
diSa,a dandy aggravates this virtue which he
has no need to assume.
The number Of aged men who are in train
ing for the Centennial, were it known, would
startle the country. Dazzled by the honors
which are bestowed upon centenarans many
Of these individuals have gone, like prize
fighters, into a regular course Of training TO
qualify themselves for an appearance at the
Exhibition next year. They begin BY dispens-
ing with their wigs; next they get rid Of
their padding and the infallibe preparation
for restoring the hair to It's natural color, and
finally they swallow their false teeth
and pretend 10 have done SO acciden-
tally while coughing. The loss Of
these artificial attractions generally makes
them look ten years older, but many
Of the candidates are still too young to be
credited with q century. 1t is here that the
worst evil begins. Rendered desperate by the
nearness Of the goal and the traces Of youth
they still possess, many Of these misguided
octogenarians wildly rush into the most reck-
less excuses, sitting up till ten o'clock drink
ing tansy tea, putting pepper in their Cruel
and refusing to wear flannel in the summer.
II this does not effect the desired purpose
they smoke bad cigars, drink whiskey and
even brandy and water and play cards when
they ought to be in their beds. There
are few sights more sad than the
spectacle OF an old man Of ninety
coming home inebrated at midnight and
telling his grandchildren that he has been out
with Samuel Adams and George Washington.
But that this is done there be no doubt
and the evil must be attributed to the injudi-
cous action Of General Hawley and the Cen
tennial Commission. The result Will be that
next year it will be as hard to find an old man
Of eighty az it is now to find one Of hundred
Fifty or sixty thousand centenarian i'm
posters will assemble in Philadelphia and
there will not be whole set Of teeth among
the lot. It is q pity that our great national
celebration should encourage such widespread
discrimination among the aged. Every man
who has grandfather has personal interest
in the matter and should insist upon chang
ing this part Of the Centennial programme.
Our ancestors demand protection, and il is
the duty Of their posterity to give it.
A Sunday In New York.
Heaven smiled Yesterday upon the metropo-