The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-20
mr. SINNERS War on the Fantas-
tic Toe.
RALEIGH, Feb'y s, 1884.

Bv the way, you may say to your Bap-
.i.t friends down hat way who are fond
1f tripping the light fantastic toe that
wsron the exercise has commenced. A
meeting of thirty or forty of the most
distinguished 3ivines In the State, of the
R,ntist denomination, wa held at Hen.
der,on the first days of this week, and
among many of the subjects discussed
was. The Proper Attitude of the
Churches Toward Popular Amusements.'
mas as usual, the central feature of at
tack. In casting about to find condemna-
tory scripture, the old, dusty, antiquated
hook shelf was ransacked and volume
after volume of long forgotten lore" ex-
plored to find latin. Greek and Hebrew
derivatlons which might or could be so
translated as to be adaptable to meet the
emergency at hand. At length the re-
nowned Or. Skinner, pastor of the first
Baptist Church of this city luckily hit
the Greek word komsos, which means
r~e.eling. Festivities with dancing" Be
coming warmed up with the enthusiasm
80 peculiar to all speakers who are OPP
posed TO this manner of hugging the
girls. the Doctor declared that ''out of
the ball room the position borne by the
sexes in the ball room oouid disgrace the
tfamen.
In cur humble opinion the learned D..
p assertion was rather offensive to the
refined sense Of many of the fair partici-
pants who indulge in the social pass-tine
aui we very much apprehend that he
viii have to make the dnleade honorable
before the sex, if he would maintain his
position in their esteem. However, be
fore his language is too freely condemned
Its see if he didn't hit the mark, or
sloGt pretty close to it? In a ballroom
young man is allowed to clasp a young
lady by one hand and e%ncircle her waist
with his right arm, drawing her close to
til both are exhausted from fatigue.
Suppose a young nan and young lady
were discovered on the streets in this low
ing attitude. what would be the conse-
quence? Whew old Madam Rumor
s.uid put her SANDER mill TO work and
ere long the old man dad" would gath
or his shot gun and seveu=league boots.
and Mr.. IOungman, to find a place Of
refuge. would bic to Texas. and Miss
served lie SC would retire TO her cham
Dor IN disgrace which would be the
~tragical farce to au innocent comedy
Yes. We are rather inclined to concur
with the Doctor in his opinion tha'
promiScuous dancing is not right-or
rather, that there is an evil influence
associated with public ball room dancing
shat j. productive OF much that has
eudeucy to damoralize the young, an(
that, therefore, the Church should cen
denim it. The Doctor, however, don
believe in turning dancing church-mem
hers out of the Church; But several VIII
spoka after HIN on this subject do belley,
IT a duty to turn cut all who persist IL
h~ugsing the girls in this way. DIR. Hut
ham says: The world has little conf
deuce in a member of the Church VIII,
dances. The Church is bound TO ,-r
Purefoy classes them, read what he says
t5-wit If you allow a while to dan
se-S Why not allo@ u while 10 ido!ators
sgrnjcdt0rS. etc.
Is it true that this reverend gentlema
who enjoys such peculiar, and such en-
FiabIe distinction, believes the dancln
s'.utaTI is - log a. that the ladies c
our and who indulge in the exercise ar
but a grade above the 3eBui Monde? Go
forbid that he should entertain, muc
less thrust such an opinion upon a char
table and virtuous public. Yet his Ian
guage is susceptible Of this construction
Rev, G. Durham in his speech mad
abaut ,Ae Fisest Suggestion offered III
the pastori ought t. iaform himself wit
regard to dancing and the scriptures o
it, aud inform his Churches about then
Ii he will do this faithfully, 10 woma
in all this land viii engage in it. W
ought to have the moral manhood
put the blame where ii belongs" Co
rect, Mr.. ID. We have heard dancln
auaJlmatized ever since we first began
attend Church and the only scripture v
ever card cited in opp 'sition to danclI
l. that one connected wi h the fact OF II
deeapitation of John the Baptist, and "
never heard that from the pulpit, We req
l. in az article written for public .tlon I
. gentleman who attended a bal oil
night with his sweet heart and after /
attended her to the ballroom she We
Into the Dext room and danced behlr
closed doors with another fellow L.
the preachers prepare their artillery al
then they will be better able to wage
aggressive warfare on ballroom anus
aeuys."-Raie'gh fter a foyrhect
Sua.'