Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-08-28
A REPLY TO LEXINGTON"

EDITOR IN-TELLiGRNcER:-ln your last issue
appeared an article signed ..Lexington,'' pur-
porting TO be u Call for assistance to the Went
worth Male Academy, but which upon a more
minute perusal substantIates the conclusion that
the academy was simply a screen behind which
he might conceal himself in order to give vent
To his inveterate spleen for the young men of
this community. In opening the stupid valves
Of his refined article, erroneous and illogical as
1t proves to be. he dwells very enthusiastically
upon the merited patronage of our female insti-
tutlons, and using the young ladies MS a shield,
he hurls his treacherous darts at the character of
our young men as did Paris his arrow at the
heel of Achilles. Whether his Wanton and nm.
manly attack was supported by fact. we will
refer for decision to the Intelligent people Of our
county, thinking that they like ourselves, will
ascrlDe 1t to the artful machination of q diseased
and fertile Imagination. Our people are too well
assured OF the malicious character of the charge
Oh Lexington" to yield credence thereto. His
charge that mo first class schools for young
men exist In this community needs only to be
mentioned that it may be condemned. Not
Wishing to See any spirit of rivalry existing be-
tween our schools We assert that our High school
las ever been partial to the interest of young
men, thorough In its course of instruction. and
under the charge OF men whose ability has
never been questioned, which facts above stamp
upon the face Of his assertion, the despised
emblem OF iabricntlGn, warning the pure in
heart TO touch 1t not. Can the intelligence OF
Lafayette county be convinced that Professors
Watts, BahImann. and CLANCY of the High
school, and Prof. Catron, from his private in
stitution. have forced upon the community a
grade OF Ignorance calculated to blacken the
character of young men,, or that under the pre-
trnce of education they have clothed them in
intemperance, debauchery and vice. Had the
gentleman taken the precaution to examine he
would have discovered that Profs. CLANCY and
herdoif were at one time principals of the
High school. and at another presidents of our
female seminarIes, in view of which fact will ne
please reconcile his charges ? Surely he will
not have the audaclty to charge that they in
structed the young ladies in virtue, morality
and refinement. but reserved for the young men
the distinguished honor of joyfulIy sipping the
frothing wine and eagerly driving the ivory
ball. Again he alleges that ''reflned female
society alone is the greatest incentive 10 virtue
and morality Yet in the very center of his
society. in sight of the Institutions them selves.
he charges that the young men are ignorant and
unrelned. wanting in virtue and exulting in
vice; and we are ''driven to seek our associates
among n lower and more inferior Glass; Yes.
"uSh ~ otIsS " I'll Sthn-
der we cheerfully admit our inieriority to your
self. but rs to our society we recognize in the
young ladies of Lafayette those qualities which
will admit OF no superiority. We will admit
that We did not, in youth, receive a classical
anu finished education. and would respect
fully submit whether the ''rctined,' gentleman
himself was so Fortunate. or whether the human
mind can become so fully developed as to re-
celve, in youth or ut any other time, II '.hnish-
ed" education. However IL is n well settled
principle. that those who urc most hungry eat
most, and il you have not found us at your in
tellectual ieasts as often AS yourself perhaps we
were not SO hungry. And because our young
men did not receive n classical ard fnished''
education they are charged with II want of re-
spectability; because their heads We're not rub
bed against college walls their capacity delights
in debauchery. ~ Il their virtue 10 as weak rs
Adams wine. AS IA class they recognize no in
terlorIty, intellectually, to the gentleman him.
self. lis true that some lack education and
some are poor; and instead of spending thpiI
labor for the support Of sisters and widowed
mothers. but we would invoke our creator to
seal our tongues to the rooves our mouths before
we would dare 10 question their character OIL
dispute their virtue because necessity denie.
them the right of education, or because In honesl
toll their hearts should thrOb beneath rage,
coats. Verify. lcarus, with thy wuxrn wingi
thou has flown too near the sun. Cast aside thin,
innocent screen AMI divest thyselr OF thine IN
appropriate nom de plane, and let the younp
men see thee MS thou art. Tor they have hut |,
see In order To condemn YOUNG MEN.