The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-02-19
The Wearing OF the 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
q sign of mental weakness of "crank-
! iness," more noticeable great deal
than a man is nowadays with long cur.
ly hair falling to his shoulders.
| In the popular prints. such as those
of the American -WashingtoR
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 qaite marked to the
eyes Of one accustomed to the hirsute
fashion of to-day.
The mustache was especially obnoX-
ious; on a clergyman, an ab0mination.
No minister could have had or kept
q pulpit with such an ornament on his
face. On the face Of layman it was
considered etfeminate and dandiied-
the type Of what are now known as
''dudes." .'If you ever come into my
house wearing a mustache when you
grow up" said 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 annuHed and
they had become quite common. A
few abolitionists and Spiritualists wore
long boards. but the most allowed on
the face was IL neat ruft of whiskers
just below the ear, like that which
vi c-President Hendricks still exhibits
A curious relic of those days is to be
found ON a tombstone in Worcester
County, Massachusetts, at the grave of
a man who died in 1873, aged "a 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 u
monster and fiend, and his name was
used to frighten children with.
Everybody else was shaved clean; so
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 he
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 he drew his jack-knife
and freed himself by stabbing two OF
his assailants in the legs.
For refusing to pay the fine imposed
he remained in Jail over a year, but
was finally released.
His wearing a beard was probably
not his only. even if his chief, offense.
He was violent anti-slavery man, and
believed in total abstinence, so that his
beard was partly a pretext for his
treatment His refusal to furnish liq-
uor to his men in the hay field also
made him very unpopular. And a good
deal OF light is thrown upon the liquor
question Of that time by q mothers re-
:usal on this account to let her boy
work for him. He is too mean to al
low the boys little liquor" she said.
The wearing of the beard itself in
those days, although considered bar
barous and oHtlandish, was generally
the mode of broad protest against the
whole established order OF things;
whether it was slavery. liquor drinking
or male suffrage. The long hair and
beard were the reforms which their
wearers advocatcd-what the red flag
ls to. communism, or the wearing OF
The green" to Irish independence
!rOit Free Iress