The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-03

Why He Protests Against an Inaugural Ball,
and What He Has Seen in the Past.
% the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal:


To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journal:
Is the question of the morality and pro-
priety of celebrating the Inauguration of
President of our Nation with "balr' one to
be flippantly and sneeringly treatedi
Theprotest against it is not born of mean
ness of spirit, spite ofmen's honor, or caprice
of Christian zeal. 1t is not contrariness
against the lawful and patriotic desire ofthe
people to appropriately celebrate the aces
sion to the chief magistracy of true and 10y
al servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the
Nation. But because he who is to be thus
honored is both of these in his own person,
it seems to a large and sincere element of
his national constituency, that the occasion
is opportune for the amendment of at least
one questionable popular custom.
From the day of Saul to the present time,
to every people who profess the knowledge
and accept the sovereignty of God, the in
stallation of ruler has been esteemed q
solemn, and, in some imports, a religious
service. By Gods direction it was COM
manded concerning the ruler: THAT he
shall write him copy of this law IN book
book of holy laws), which is before the
priests the Levites: And it shall be with
him, and he shall read therein all the days
of his life: that he may learn to fear the
Lord his God, to keep all the words of this
law and these statutes, to do them" St.
Paul commands subsection to magistrates
upon the express grounds that ''the powers
that be are ordained of God" that rulers
are not terror to good works, but to the
evil" "for he (the ruler) is the minister OF
God to thee for good"
Every good and loyal American desires,
trust, to so esteem him who is to be such
minister of God" to this people for the
coming quadTennium of our national his
tory. Is it despicable in any of us TO de-
sire to honor him in the hour of his exaltatlon
without the Offense of those practices
which, however they may be esteemed by
the worldly, are in the eyes of our church
and our millions of fellOw-servantS OF God
honestly condemned as misleading and of
questionable moral tendency
Will the dignity and patriotic excellency
of the popular inaugural reception to the
President be sacrificed in any degree, in
| the esteem of honorable men and women,
by the omission of dancing from the pro-
grammes May bear witness to the his
| tory of similar ceremonies in the pastf l.
have observed that, on such occasions. the
significant and dignified incidents were
entirely found in the stately and felicitous
| congratulations of the representative men
and women of the Nation who meet to-
| gether to pay respect to the person and
| office of the new President The general
conversation, the decOrus promenade OF
honor, the personal fluctuations to the chief
magistrate and his company were the really
| distinguishing features of the affair. The
| opening march and quadrille, when partici-
| pated in by the President and his party,
was purely formal matter. Its conclusion
| usually marks his own withdrawal from
| all the truly distinguished personages.
Then commences the unrestrained festive
| ness of the 'oi pollOi, and soon the scene is
differentiated from common public ball In
| name only. All semblance of an honorlng
alterations of drink and dance. The select
| character of the -assemblage drops to the
| level of the general ability to meet the price
| of admission and the moral characteristics
| of the affair are no higher than the general
| devOtee. Why there should be strenuous
| objection to the elimination of the dancing
| feature of such an affair is the really strange
| and only reprehensible emergence of this
ural reception be enhanced in dignity, de-
corum and national significance by the
! quiet and absolute omission of this sense
| less and sensual adjunct?
| The people of the Union have been sum-
| moned to see and believe that they have
chosen for President one whose character
| and Christian practices are a guarantee
! that the Inauguration ceremony will sig
nalize the exaltation of moral power, as
| well as a patriot statesman to tho hsaGi,S
| our affairs. thank God, with millions OF
my eompatriots, that we do so believe. But
will confidence in all the righteous hopes
this faith inspires be helped or harmed by
witnessing the degradation of his Inaugural.
ton to the dancing mania of the popular
| mobf Must this growing hunger and thirst
for tieshly indulgences invade every cere-
| mony of our life, however solemn and ex-
allied In national Significance
Is it puritanic to ask for the publication
ask that Christian Conduct rather than
pagan or Partisan pleasure-mOngerine
should characterize this event of world
wide observation In day like this, with
| Christian request of this seriousness to be
granted or denied, shall the spirit of the
Lord declare: Il sought for a man among
them that should make up the hedge to1
| righteousness) and stand in the gap before
me for the land; but found none!'
| SAM w. SMALL.
| FRANKLIN, Ind, Jan. i.