The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-07-19
The Wicked Waltz.
A DANCING MASTER DENoUNCEs IT.

| H.. l.
adelphia dancing master, is about to begin
a crusade against the waltz as at present
danced, which he pronounces to be i'm
modest, vulgar, and generally demoralizing
Il have been dancing master for the past
ten years, y he says, 'sand have made it a
practice throughout that period to observe
carefully the changes in the public taste,
and to note the changes for betteror worse
in my profession. | have watched closely
and thought deeply on the subject and now
have no hesitation in saying that the waltz,
under whatsoever name it may go for the
time being, is immoral. 1t is the only
dance that decent people protest against,
and | am happy to say that there still re-
Emain numbers of careful fathers who will
not allow their daughters to dance it.
although a vast proportion of the fashion
able, and majority of the others, do not
seem as yet awakened to its iniquity. |
have recently been in consultation with
the Rev. Mr.. Wayland. sof the Baptist
church at Broad and Arch streets, and
with others of the clergy, and they agree
with me that The, dancing of the waltz has
fully as demoralizing an effect in its way
as have alcohol and tobacco in theirs.'
'Doyou hear any objections to waltz
ing?'
ooh, yes, any quantity Of them, and l
think the time is right to begin crusade.
| don't think my efforts OF those of the
clergymen who will take part in the good
work will have any immediate effect, but
when the people begin to think, which
they will do when the subject has had
little agitation, they will soon act, and the
voluptuous waltz, will gradually disappear
Ten OF fifteen years ago the waltz was not
so Objectionable as at present. Dancers
OF to-day come into altogether too close
contact. In the old time a gentleman
merely touched a lady's waist, at the same
holding her right hand OF his left. Now
he throws his arms clear around her form.
pulls her closely to him, as though fearful
of losing her, brings his face into actual
contact with her soft cheek, and in a
word, hugs her. Such action is altogether
too familiar, but still custom and society
sanction it, and. instead of Improvement
for the better, we see, year after year, a
marked advance in improprieties of the
dance. In the old days theWaltz was COM
paratlvely modest now it is Just the re-
verse, and the waltz is calculated to do
more injury to the young than many of the
vices that are preached against from the
pulpit and deeply deplored in private life .
You speak with much force, professor,
with regard to the morality OF the waltz
Do you speak from personal observation
OF from hearsay ?"
From personal observation. have made
it my practice for years to attend balls and
parties i'll order to keep pace in my teach
ing with the popular demand. [ have no
hesitation in saying that [ attribute much
OF the vice and immortality now prevailing
to the insiduous influence of the waltz.
This may seem an overStraining of the
point, but it is my honest conviction. |
tell you that in the higher circles young
ladies at parties and balls are absolutely
Rugged by men who We're altogether un-
known to them before the music of the
waltz began to inspire the toes of the
dancers. Is this a pleasant sight to con-
template? / have seen couples so tightly
interlocked that the face of the man was
actually i'll contact with that of the pal
pitating girl in his arms. | have seen
kisses interchanged amid the Whrl of the
maddening waltz.
''The persons interested in this crusade,
intend to send circulars to the leading
ciergymen and heads of the great ecclesi-
astical organs and institutions of the
United States, and ask them to aid in the
great work. DR.. Wayand said he would
help us in any way he could, and promised
to write to Mrs. Gen. Sherman, the all
thoress of book inopposition to waltzing,
asking her assistance. | also wrote to
that lady requesting her advice as to the
conduct of the crusade Mrs. Sherman's
book takes the ground that the waltz is
immodest that it detracts from thepurity
of young ladies who indulge in it that it
gives to the young men opportunities for
familiarities that should never be allowed
and that it is, in fact, demoralizing in the
extreme. She holds that no young lady
should be embraced save by the man she
proposes to marry.
'"There are six dances now in vogue that
involve the hugging principles of the
waltz. They are the plain waltz, which
was introduced by the Germans (who sell
Inv no tn1ro
dances) the glide, a very fashionable and
and pretty dance the redowa which has
held its own for many generations of
dancers the Danish, which is half march
and half waltz, and three step gallop. |
entered upon this crusade, first, because |
thought the waltz an immoral dance, and
second, because the initiatory steps in the
matter should be taken by member of
the profession most deeply interested
Prof. Welsh, in conclusion, said that the |
waltz step is in itself unobjeetionable, but |
that the closeness of the partners, as the |
dance is now practiced, is worthy Of strong
condemnation. He suggests that the waltz
step be retained, but that the partners
~ "i''SiJ ~ Pt'l"oou Ny u fCly oluIplt OK
pedient. This is to cross and ioin the
hands. A possible objection to this is that |
it will not afford to the lady that sense of |
protection that is derived from the pres
sure OF her partner arm about her waist.
The Professor says that he introduced this
style of waltzing to some of his higher
classes last winter, and it was favorably |
received.
The TRADE DOLLAR-The Baltimore |
SIMS Washington correspondent has this |
to say OF the trade dollar:
No doubt whatever is entertained in
treasury circles that the agitation over the
trade dollar was started originally for spec
ulatlVe purposes, and at the present de-
probation very good speculation it will
be. The treasury officials say that Con-
gress cannot possibly refuse to redeem
them, and those who are buying them up
now at Is per cent. discount will make a
good thing 1t should not be forgotten
that they contain I! grains more Of silver
than the standard dollar, which passes as a
legal tender at its face value Assistant
Secretary of tha Traacurv Nayv who hoe