The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-04
THE CORNER LoUNGER.

THE CORNER LoUNGER.
81 do not think the cremation craze will
ever take in Memphis" said Memphian.
II read Rabbi Sonncschcins lecture IN it, adj.
vocacy and could see that while his scion
tilc mind Endorsed cremation ms n means of
disposing Of the dead, his affections all hung
around the grave where the beloved ones
rested and which the hand Of love could
adorn with flowers and eyergrcens, and TO
which memory could ever recur with the
tendercst thoughts. Not 30 with the vase or
urn business. Think Of IL; burning up
your dead rs you would common garbage
for sanitary purposes. They save the ashes
do theyl-to put in urns and keep them as
your larcs ct pcnateS, or household gods
What matters II II the custom prevailed TO
some extent among the oldcn time Pagans2
! They had many other customs which are
much more honored IN the breach than the
observance, Just as II the flavor OF
antiquity made everything right What
have we TO do with those somi-barharous
duiIers and their burial rites2 You will find
all about Greek and Roman funerals In An.
thon's Dictionary OF Greek aud Roman
] Antiquities. The Greeks and Romans either
burned ar buried the body, and Lucian says:
The Pcrslans bury their dead Timolcon,
Philoprmon aud Patroclus, the friend Of
Achilles, were burned. Among the Romans
Marius was buried and Sulla was the first Of
the Comedian gems whose body was burned.
Burning does not appear 10 have become
general till the later times Of the Republic,
and under the Empire burning was almost
universally practiccd but WIS gradually
discontinued rs Christianity spread, so that
| Il had fallen into disuse Ia the fourth
century. II Is not Christian method
hut Pagan method Of burial.
The poor used urns made out OF
baked clay or carihenwarc, while the
rich used alabaster, marble and golden
urns-and NJ Il would be todny-cay urns
for the poor, gold alabastcr and marble
urns Tor the rich. Then the question,
What's your urns WORTH would settle the
society status Of the family Tho body Of
liamle's father must have been crcmatcd,
for Hamlet says 60 the ghost: why the
tomb wherein wo saw thee quietly inurncd9
etc You remember poor Tom Hood when
dying, could not forge his genius for pun
ming. aud said Of his doctors that they were
trying 10 urn a livelihood Our Legislative
solons the Shelby delegation, would have 10
introduce bills for the protection Of ashes
and urns, Ia punish those who stole them or
who broke them aud scattered the contents
among the other inorganic dusts Of earth, and
a discussion Of the evolution ofdust organic
aud inorganic might arise In the capitol.
Again, would these urns be deposited In
tombs at cemeteries or be kept at home rs
ornaments or specimens OF bric-a-brac to-
adon the center table or the mantcl-piccc9
and without some legislation how could
all the attachment OF the family keep the
urn from being attached by some rcmorsc.
less creditor who Is no rcspcctcr OF inorganic
or organic dus9 IL Is grave question NJ
best, but no urn for me, II you please; put
me down ~ opposed 10 cremation. Why,
even the drunken rough could break his
ancestors al up II they were inurncd."
There has been a good deal Of cheap talk
recently about home rule In Memphis"
aid a taxpayer ON Front street q few days
since. but want none Of the home rule
we had before the Taxing District form Of
government was established that was home
ruin, not home rule. We have already
home rule 10 far rs selecting our Police aud
Fire Commissioners aud members OF the
Board Of Public Works by the votes of the
entire people Of the city aud not by the
votes Of the wards for respective represent.
atiycs. All We need now Is to restore To the
city the right 10 levy taxes and to give Mem
phis her old name, the thing Is then accom-
plishcd aud that Is home rule. In addition
TO the above tlNr are some people who
want to increase the number Of the
members Of the city government TO
ten, 10 ~ 10 correspond with the number
Of ward, and 10 have the people Of each
ward select 10 representative by vote at
primary election or mass meeting. or some
other way aud, those representatives TO be
then voted for by the people Of the city at
larrc. This Is tile old Objectionable ward
system. revived In. i anything. q more ob.
jcctionablc form, and means home ruin. not
home rule. The friends Of the old ward
system and the opponents Of the Taxing
District form Of government favor the latter
plam but a. the TroIans remarked. .Bo.
ware Of the Greeks When bringing gifts. -