The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-21


in connection with the rather imperfect but
rapidly developing public school system
OF the country. The most ludicrous OF these
was, perhaps, The case in which a little girl
was excluded from school attendance be-
cause her parents allowed her to wear floun-
ces on her dress. This too, from a school
which derives the bulk Of its support from
the contributions of the rate and taxpayers,
and those who caused the expulsion actually
had the audaclty to defend their action before
a magistrate. Equally audacious and scarce
ly less ludricous was the conduct OF the
school board at Wivelscombe, small town
in Somersetshire, who kept nine-year-old
child out of school for three months because
she insisted on wearing the badge of the
Blue Ribbon Temperance Army. The father
of this child appealed to the education de-
partment and the board, of course, was soon
informed that the government could not
recognize the wearing of blue ribbon as
sufficient excuse for excluding child from
school," But common sense was not to be
introduced into the inflated craniums OF the
members OF this board by such mild init
nation as that, and they succumbed finally,
we are told, only when the withdrawal OF
their government grant was threatened,
not even then submitting with good grace
but throwing up their positions in high
dudgeon. These men are probably interested
pecuniarily in the liquor business, of which
the blue-ribbon movement is, in these days,
the most formidable foe, and the incident
will give your readers faint idea of some of
the methods by which that movement is be-
ing opposed. But from one form of fanati-
ciSm to another is only a short step, and
while writing thus of the curiosities of the
country, l recall two singular advertisements
that have recently come under my notice.
They emanate, doubtless from the protested
friends OF religion, and from persons actu-
ated, suppose, by the very best of motives,
but their inevitable effect is to drag religion
into the mire, and that this kind of thing
should be allowed to go on, with only the
feeblest protests from the true friends of the
cause, is to me one of the worst signs of the
times. One of these was stuck all over the
walls of large town in Kent, and ran thus;
Whoever will may have good tea for Cd.
Heaven on earth in the tent" The other,
which appeared in the columns of a widely
circulated paper, was as follows Wanted
Immediately, youth as clerk. One accus-
TONED to conveyancing practice and with
knowledge of shorthand preferred. Must be
fully saved" That, however, which has sur
prised me more than anything else lately, is
that this Christian country should send the
number of recruits it does to swell the ranks
of Salt Lake Mormonism OF the 500 Nor
mons who landed in Castle Garden few DAYS
ago, nearly one-feurth were recruited in the
towns of England, and the process of enlist
ment still goes on. A man named Hall Is at
work i'll London at the present time, trying
to convert young girls to this vile faith.
Fathers of families are warned by the papers
to look out for this scoundrel, who is said
to be accompanied by female who processes
to be his wife, or one of his wives The pro-
vince of this woman is to persuade the girls
to go to Utah by assuring them that she
should have no objection to their being added
to the number of the fascinating Halls mat
rlmonial conquests No doubt this delectable
pair will meet with considerable success
though it is gratifying to learn that they do
not have smooth sailing in every Instance for
one of the girls thus approached told the
woman that while her kind cOndescension
was not unappreciated the bargain could not
be consummated, as she should personally
object not only to Hall but to any other half
of man.
THE sHIP-LAUNcHING CALAMITY.
But to pass to more serious matters, the
date of this will remind your readers that 1
am writing under the shadow of the great
ship-launching calamity. Glasgow shakes
hands sorrowfully with Sunderland, and all
the world looks on in pity. We thought the
slaughter of the innocents as bad as anything
could be, but this supplemental horror sur
passes that both in the number of the victims
and in its fearful and far-reaching conse-
quences, The grief of parents over the death
VI hIIlG CulIuICn may Uc as kcSH lCT Jne time
as that of the wife over her husband or the
widow over her only son, but it is not so
enduring, nor so crushing in its utter hope
lessness. All children in the other case all
men in this. When will those charged with
great responsibilities learn to exercise ordi-
nary care? How long shall mans cupidity
be permitted without rsbuke to place life in
jeopardy and to drive human being as sheep
to the slaughter? The verdict in the Sunder-
land affair is what every one expected
Nothing could be determined in regard to the
boiling of the fatal door, and the matter is
dropped with the mere censure of
the man who gave the entertainment
for not having helpers enough to preserve
order. Thus, this man, through his greed
for money, had, by the low price of admis-
sion and delusive promise OF prizes, tempt
ed lot of helpless children to come and
witness his seightof-hand tricks, and had
left them while there entirely at the mercy
of their own excitable imaginations, with the
result of nearly hundred being smothered,
and there is apparently no means of punish
ing him or of teaching lesson of prudence
through his example to Others In the Glas-
Cow case, mingled careleSsness and cupidity
are once more the means of a wholesale de-
struction of life-carelessness in that the YES
sci was obviously top-heavy when she was
let into the water, and cupidity in that most
of the victims were workmen kept at their
posts of duty regardless of the danger to
which they were exposed, because their enl-
ployers must have the vessel finished at a
certain time or lose little Of the contract
money. We must not anticipate the verdict
in this dreadful case, and we will indulge the
hope that circumstances may yet be devel-
oped that will place the unfortunate ship
builders in a better light. Meanwhile sur
prised as we are at. the accidents which occur
shall we not find cause for even greater as
tonishment if we reflect for moment how
many are almost miraculously prevented?
One of these fortunate escapes occurred re-
Gently on the London 4 Northwestern rail
way, and was due to the extraordinary pres
ence of mind shown by the signalman at
Llandudno Junction. This man saved the
passengers of the Irish mail, commonly called
1.-THE Wild Irishman" from the great speed
at which it travels, from fate which is hor-