Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-05
'rhe Wearing OF tho Beard.

1t is not only within the memory of
the oldest inhabitant," but of persons
of mature life, that beard upon the
face was not only questionable, but
a sign of mental weakness of crank
mess" more noticeable great deal
than man is nowadays with long cur
ly hair falling to his shoulders.
In the popular prints, such as those
of the American Washington
Irving, Cooper and others; pictures of
the American Senate. with portraits OF
Clay, Webster, Calhoun, Cass and their
contemporaries absence Of boards
and mustaches is quite marked to the
eyes of one accustomed to the hirsuts
fashion of to-day.
The mustache was especially obnox-
ious; on clergyman. an abomlnatlon.
No minister could have had or kept
a pulpit with such an ornament on his
face. On the face of a layman it was
considered effeminate and dandified-
the type of what are now known as
"dudes." If you ever come into my
house wearing mustache when you
grow up" said a gentleman to his
nephew, then beardless by nature in
stead of art, Il will turn you out of
doors" But by the time the boy was
able to produce mustache the edict
against them had been annulled and
they had become quite common. A
few abolitionists and Spiritualists wore
long boards, but the most allowed on
the face was a neat tuft of whiskers
just below the ear, like that which
Vice-President Hendricks still exhibits.
A curious relic of those days is to be
found on tombstone in Worcester
County, Massachusetts, at the grave OF
a man who died in 1873, aged S4 years.
On the diverse of his monument may
be read the words: ''Persecuted for
wearing his beard" If the traditions
about his life and experiences are trust
worthy, no martyr ever suffered much
more for his fondest religious belief
than ..Old jew Palmer" did for his
beard. He was not an "old jew
at all, but was called so fifty years ago
on account of his long and venerable
beard. He was looked upon as g
monster and fiend, and his name was
used to frighten children with.
Everybody else was shaved clean; sc
he was hooted at in the streets. talked
| about in the country store, bullied by
his neighbors, wrestled with by the
| clergyman, in the vain hope that ht
would consent to follow Samson's ex
ample and ..be as other men" by hav
| ing his hair cut.
Once four men arrived with shears
| laid violent hands on him for the pur
| pose of removing the obnoxious ap
| pendage whether or no. He struggled
| against his fate, but was nearly over
| powered, when ne drew his jack-knif'
and freed himself by stabbing two o
his assailants in the legs.
For refusing to pay the fine imposed
he remained in Jail over 4 year, bu
7 was finally released.
His wearing beard was probabl..
not his only. even if his chief, otfense
| He was a violent anti-slavery man, ant
believed in total abstinence, so that hi
beard was partly a preteXt Tor hi
treatment His refusal to furnish liq
uor to his men in the hay field ais
made him very unpopular. And goo'
deal of light is thrown upon the iquO
question of that time by mothers re
fusal on this account to let her bo
work for him. He is too mean to al
low the boys little liquor" she said
The wearing of the beard itself il
those days, although considered bar
barous and outandish, was general,
the mode of a broad protest against tn
whole established order of things
whether it was slavery. liquor drinkin
or male suffrage. The long hair an
beard were the reforms which thei
wearers advocated-what the red fla;
is to communism, or the wearing Q
the green" to irish independence.-Ds
tr0it Free Press.