Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-04-05
YOUNG MANS CHANCE
As Viewed From the Standpoint
ola Wheeling Young Man.
Young people especially were made
Cor pleasure and pleasure especially Tor

Young people especially WsIe uaue
Cor pleasure and pleasure especially Tor
them.
Now what we need, is to have the
legitimate encouraged and the illegitl-
mate branded as such.
This, II seems to me, Is after all,
one of the best fields lor
the moral philantrophist who seeks to
elevate mankind. Let the pastimes and
pleasures OF young people he provided
and made beneficial by those who have
an interest in their morals. l confess
TO liking the old English style OF having
ministers who could preach all the bet
ter for a game OF cricket with the young
men Of his parish, or a ride across the
country behind the hounds.
The trouble is that the pleasures oil
young men, especially in cities, seem
To De- in the hands oil those who
bring discredit on both the man
and the pleasure, and thus make
innocent pleasure harmful. Our
temperance friends should not sup
pose that young men go IN saloon the
first time FROM any particular desire ior
liuuor, iOr tile chances are he will drink
lemonade or smoke cigar, both NOR
ally harmless ID is because Of the
pains that are taken To make u an ut
iractiye place, and perhaps because
there in no other place where they will
be so heartily welcome
Most young men agree that hquor
drinking with its bad headaches and
worse hcartaches, Is an illcgitimate pleas
IRE in itself, leaving morality out OF the
question. II is u rose with too many
thorns 10 pay the plucking.
The New Workers have made amoyee
in the right direction, having organized
stock company for the purpose OF
Opening and conducting coffee houses
in that city, thus aiIonling young men
what they need everywhere, PAGES Tor
legitimate enjoyment.
There is an effort being made to or
ganizc something ol the same kind here
in Wheeling, aud it should receive the
support OF all good citizens who have
an interest in the morals Oi the COmmu-
nifty.
We are lar behind other towns in the
amenities of social life. We have no
park, no public reading rooms, no free or
open AIR concerts, no lecture COURSES,
no Indications oi public or private
interest in the culture or enjoyment OF
the people, unless We except the ioun-
tain and the monument, the first serv-
ing To remind us Of the "spouting' that
our city fathers indulge in, and the sec
nnd, that we will never have any pubic
II people are not provided with prop
money spent for our benefit until We lie
for our country.
or means of diversion, the chances are
that they will take advantage OF such as
are furnished, and it is an open ques-
ton whether the sin Of commission IN
providing immoral recreation is any
greater than the sin OF omission IN neg
Letting to supply honorable and healthy
entertainment.
| think Cromwell and his followers
were about Us much to blame Tor the
license that came in with the Restoration,
AS was Charles III. and his court. The
tonne. discouraged all amusements,
anl the latter inauguratod both good
aud bad, 40 between the two II was hall
a loaf on no bread There are certain
amusemcnts that are perfectly innocent
in themselves that have been taken pos
session of 10y the devil, without amy re-
sistaucc from his opponents, who, in
stead of attempting to rescue them,
and put them to their leglti-
mate use, have rather taken every
opportunity of disowning them aud
Keeping them in the hands Of the
uSurped.
# seems fair 10 put it down rs au
axiom that neither social ostraClsm nor
public opinion can make good man
or harmless custom, truly bad or
hurtiul in itself.
Customs, like men, may acquire repu-
tations that belle their true character
and they may he forced 10y the temper OF
the times into evil associations, yet in
themselves they are what they were
from the beginning harmless aud mno-
cent pastimCs.
You mustall admit this, hut when the
gentlemen who wish To establish Il
pleasant place Of resort, in
troducc among other pastimcs, billiards
whist and dominocs. am afraid you
will forget that these have worse rcpu-
tations than characters, aud only need
to be- rescued from the odor of bars,
beer aud blaSphcmy 10 he regarded rs
legitimate CCjoymcnts.