Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-11-02
uciie> OF the Dark Ages.

1t Is extremely doubtful whether
he depth and extent of popular IL
nOrance and superstition would evel
come to our notice If it were not fol
The policy business. ANY investiEa
ton of that fragrant theme, or any
contact with its agents or victim.
brings Us face to face with a numerous
class whose GcsotJed condition makes
Us shUdder. Ii seems at first sighl
incredible that gigantic system o.
sWindliRg can bc carried on "A 4 cigy
like this in defiance of law: with It's
sub-agencies quite AZ numerous as OuI
churches, and its whole machinery
exposed to the authorities and the
puUlIc, who know il to be worked Iu
defiance OF law and in opposition t
the best Interests Of the community
Ii Is still more incredible that this
system Is based upon and t!ourishes b.
means of the superstition aud IgnOr-
ance OF portion, and unfortunately u
large portion, of that community
The policy business grows directly Out
of TIE subsOii of our civilization. 1t
draws It's uOurishment from popular
superstition.
which is doing business at the rate 0i
three or four millions a year in New
York draws seven teuths of it's in.
come from the people who believe In
dreHn-huoks and lucky hunters ana
who keep alive the fortune te!lers, The
ciairvONants and the innUmeraGiI
qutcks. asiroingers and chaYla;aUs oi
the hack streets. il is sheer folly tC
tax aaOui the light Of the HIHeteeIth
century penetrating TO these people,
They herd and wal,Ow in tie profound
darkness of tne eleventh century.
They may indeed be animated by
the buslie about them, aud DOUBTLESS
,e-aIi the improved material iBci!i'
ties that are placed at their hands -
Bias in themselves they believe in
charms and philters and evil eyes ,
their myths, their legends, their med
ir!uG men, their sOuthsayers and theil
formula Of luck. You may preach
Christianity to them until you are ex
hausted, and when your back is turned
they will call upon the devil through
one OF his advertising media for the
information or assistance they desire
The public school j. all very we'll, per
maps, btiJ "a llDISt'SlttC OtSl LllC uOOI
way is safer. Intelligence is good
Ell Ou2u in its way, bat 10 be born with
caul is better. What effect can
sou expect from Ben Franklin ;
maNiEHs or even the Sermon on the
Mount brought to the notice of that
woman V ho believes that she is ia
liarry rich gentleman with blonde
hair, brCailsc the weuCh up two flights
Of slaiTs luid her 80 for fifty ceuia ,
i:OH are Uu - inca. .Uate industry, pa
tjence aId common eenSe when your
pupil Is gtUuuGcd in tho belief that if
he can only dream of a certain num-
ter seven times he will pocket the
Wcat,i uf Crusus ?
IL is discGHrugiHr to the hUmanita-
ri:tu Iu cn!ic upon these ragans at his
door step, and to find them mailed in
the SUPERSTITION THAT he supposed ', aa
hurried with thc witches. Bur there is
tie fact. The element of savagcry
underiies thc body polite, aud We
iinve only to dig i'm the dirty side
street 10 fiHd il. We may not Le able
80 redeem these people at once with
know ledge hUt there is one thing we
can do. w can prevent the lowest
=
lis rendezvous in our streets, We
can prevent il from developing ignUr-
aucC into crime by the warmth OF its
agErcgatian. We can say with an
th"rItY. You shall not drag Juggernar t
through broadway Nor Mil sc per
nit witches 70 he burnt in Madison
Park. Nou may remain ignorant, il
N"u iu-i,; upon it but You shall not
open your dirty Fetish temples on all
oar thcrouchfales, and make ignor-
aucc II public disgrace as we'll as Il pub
lie curse
The policy shop remains to be prop
ely by Tie social philosopher. Tae
brave man who will examine il care
ftly must iiud that ii is the primary
school of crime. 1t is here that the
ind0!eut are tempted to look for licn-
es without giving any equivalent for
them, and it is here that the idle and
vicious come together from the neigh
bOrhGod and fI.se their shallow brains
in co operative viIlainy. There are,
according to the evidence OF an old
policy drHler before the Committee on
Crime, 80 of thcse dCus In New York.
Every one Of them is a school of IN
fanny, a resort for thieves, Il cheap rei-
ugp for ignorance and idienCss, where
they are luryd on TO wickedneas and
ruin hv golden bait. We sincerely
trust that reOrganiZCd police force
will make short work of them.-Ne'C
YorE World.