The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-26
AN ABSURD FORMALITY.
A Sensible Protest Against Draping Public
Buildings in Black.

St. Paul Pioneer Press.
One of our national absurdites is the alleged
'draping' of public buildings for thirty days
with the insignia Of woe, after the death of some
man high in public station. The custom of put
ting on mourning attire, when applied individ-
ualy is one about which there is much discus
sion. That discussion can be sensibly resolved
only by saying that it is y matter of personal
taste and feeling. Except where fashions are
supreme even over DEATH the habit of dressing
in black in memory Of the departed is enforced
only by the dictates Of human nature A law
that should require all relatives of dead man
to wear mourning for periods proportional to
the nearness of their kinship would violate de-
cency. substitute form for feeling and raise
mutiny. 1t would be more incongruous, it would
be far less silly than the executive order by
which pubic building are kept decorated" a
good part of the time. AS one walks up Wabasha
street he notices that from the roof of the hand
some granite building where the postofice and
custom house domiciled there hang pendant
three lank and disconsolate streamers of white
and black. Against the massive walls they look
like mere dirty shreds of some once respectable
garniture The white is dusty. and stained, and
disreputable. The black is as faded and lustre-
less as poverty. Altogether, these three shame
faced strands remind one of q discarded shoe
string and soiled corset lace, sent to keep com
pany in the dust-heap. And the observer of to-
occurs to him that this ''draping" is
meant to remind him that Mr.. Hen
bricks died some weeks ago. What a
formal folly it all is! Mr.. Hendricks met the
common fate. He died, and is still nourned 10y
ally by those to whom he was dear The world
gave him his due of praise, and then moved on
as 1T ever does about its business. Had he been
only little less than a demi- god, instead of
merely reputable Democrat, that would have
been all.
Nothing in nature stops to remember yester
day. The Nation is not inhurnan because the
debates in Congress are more to it than the eulo
ges lately spoken at indianapolis. The sky will
not turn black nor the sun grow red, even
though the noblest of earth had passed away.
And rain and sunshine still pitilessy spoil the
skimpy odds and ends of muslin that fiutter
from all the public buildings Of the country.
For exactly thirty days this mummery must
continue, and then the public may forget at
its pleasure. Now, what humbug and alb
surdity all this is. 1t may be we'll enough.
while he whom we can call the Nations dead is
lying ia state, while business is wholly or par
tally suspended, ard while public men
speaking eloquent words Of tribute about the
unbured body of hero or patriot or statesman,
or politician, as the case may be, to deck the
edfces of the Nation with formal symbols of
bereavement. 1t will not add one tear or take
away one pang, but 1T can display decent re
spect which nations as well as individuals must
observe. Bat in the name of common sense let
the world go on its usual way after that. The
significance of mourning is not for the who
looks at but for the who wears it. The
mother does not care to publish to the world
that she has lost her child. 1t
is because her own heart is bereft that she draws
about her the garments of the night No people
can possibly thus long mourn a citizen, however
eminent public is not private tie. Norman
had greater honor than General Grant, yet
public mourning for him now would be a farce.
So is that for Mr. Hendricks, SO must it be for
the brightest and best of the Republic 1T would
be a reform consistent with common sense TO
direct that hereafter the draping of public build
ings should be removed the day after the funeral
of him in whose honor it was put on. A decent
and general respect would thus be signi6ed.
The publics sense of fitness would be spared the
infection of those tatterdemaion bits of black
and white which must still adorn our public
buildings until the thirty days specified by
executive order shall have flied the formal
tribute to the dead.