The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-21
THE HOUSEHOLD DEsPOT.

| his freedom, yet there is one tyranny from
which there Is no immunity, and to which he
must submit In common with the most
slavish of people. There are few who do not
| bear the marks of their bondage about with
| them, and there is scarce a household that
does not support tyrant Of It's own, brain
| less, immoral despot, with whom 1t Is impos-
sible to reason, and against whose whimsical
tyranny rebellion Is worse than futile.
The advent of this despot upon earth dates
from few short months after Adam began to
delve and Eve to spin, and indeed, it is a
popular belief that his coming had direct
connection with the occurrence which reduced
"the grand old gardener and his wife" to the
necessity Of working for living 1t has even
been said that the primeval pair, In their I'M
tutored innocence, foreswore the listless idle
ness of Eden In order to submit themselves TO
the tyranny of this unreasonable autocrat,
even though 1t came attended with the
sweat of the brow. II this be true, it
surely was at the instgation of the devil
ct from that evil day to this the tyranny
of this despot has remained unbroken, and to-
day, without the intellect of Thompson's colt
and utterly destitute of moral perception, he
sits enthroned in every household not only
an absolute but, strange to relate, beloved
and admired sovereign. Men and women
alike abase themselves before him and
endure all sorts of fortunes to gratify his
slightest within and minister to his deprav6d
habits. The oldest and most reverend must
submit to his indignities with the humblest
menials, They are oil one to him, and the
only merit Of his despotic sway is its absolute
impartiality and universally. Respect
able gentlemen, who, among themselves,
are called, with q fine irony, heads offamiIies,
must submit in their own households TO hay
ing their noses tweaked and their hair pulled
by him. He compels them to walk the floor
of their bedrooms for whole nights to appease
his fretful rage. II he requires, they must
get upon their all tours, like beasts Of burden,
or crawl upon their stomaohs, like the rep
tile, as his fancy dictates. They must bark
like dogs, whine like pigs, crow like cocks, II
his fancy SO requires. He does not even per-
NIT them TO speak to him, or of him, in the
plain language Of sensible people. He tole-
rates nothing but the merest drivel, and this
must be addressed to him In a senseless lingo
Of his own.
It Is hard to realize that this Moloch, who
is accounted innocent solely because OF its
absolute moral and intellectual imbeeility, is
human being; but such Is the case-it is a
baby-whom Plsistratus Caxton described as
coming into the world "red very red-blush-
| ing for the sins that he Is about to commit. -"
| It is astonishing that the world has endured
so long the tyranny of babies, and that no
systematic effort has ever been made to OPP
pose and get rid of it. With the exception OF
a limited and temporary, but somewhat Wig
orous effort on the part of Herod to suppress
these nuisances, there Is on record no attempt
even at q rebellion against the slavery they
impose on mankind.
1t is true that Sidney Smith made some
humane suggestions in regard to the policy
for the ameloraton of the condition OF the
Irish poar, which might have attained the
happiest results had they been carried out
But the suggestions OF this philanthropist
met with no favor, but, on the contrary, were
denounced as inhuman and savage. His idea
was that the poor could get rid Of the burden
of supporting their children by eating
them. He urged the proposition with great
earnestness and ability. He treated the
.
and then with the gusto OF an epicure' He
showed how the parents would be emancipatec
from slavery and the children rescued from
all possibilities of suffering. He could imagine
no morsel more delicious than the ribs Of q
nicely roasted infant. But his caiolery coplc
no more allure than his reasoning could con
vince, and the people refused to look witt
favor on his project, and it is believed that moi
a single family has ever adopted 1t.
We are glad to say, however, that there has
at last risen man who is determined to tes
the question in the courts, IL man has am
rights which baby is bound to respect. Ii
fact, this very question Is now before cour
In New York city for decision, The cas-
. arose In this way. Mr.. Joseph Pool, presi
t dent of the Manufacturers and Merchants
: Bank Of New York, and his wife reside on tn
3 fourth floor of the tenement house No. 6
Q Madison Avenue, and the apartments jus
0 above him on the fifth floor are occupied b.
: Mr.. Stephen Higgenson, his wife and family
In the family Of Mr.. Higgenson Is a mos
despotic and unreasonable infant of fiftee
= months Of age. Mr.. Pool brings suit askin
perpetual injunction to prevent Higger
= son from trolling about his apartments
: heavy cart or wagon which the said Hie
= censor continually during the day, an
y every day and often at night, and late 9
| night and very early In the morning Of eac
:, day, has rolled or caused to be rolled or prC
PEELED, and still continues TO roll, or causes
be rolled or propelled, In his apartments in
= mediately over the apartments of plaintiff
to the great injury of the peace, health an
happiness of plaintiff, his family and guest
. driving him from his bed, and from room
room to escape the noise
Mr.. Higgenson says In answer that he has
baby fifteen months old that Is teethin
and fretful, and can be got to sleep in no otht
ell way than by riding him In baby carriag
i and that there Is no alternative but to hume
; the child. He says he had had his carpet
i taken up and padded and rubber bands pr