The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-03-18

If not cynical, the Memphis Scimi-
tar is at least plain in its views on
"Obituary Humbug," which it treats
editorially in the following manner:
There is one newspaper habit that should
be given Rough on Rats and kicked ont
to die under the IMPLYING stars to the I
music of cats on the back fence, and that
is the saying that the death Of somebody |
has east gloom over the community or
caused sorrow to hundreds, or to the
whole State or nation, as the case may be.
1t is lie, no matter who the person i'll
question. This is a big world, and the
room taken up in it by the most noted
among us is really very small in compare
son. Men come, little red and wrlnkled;
squalling bundles of flesh that have no
more sense i'll them than so many puppies.
They go, after playing their little part in
the drama of Humanity, and the wave OF
nothingness closes over them The cur
tain is rung down and the light put out
but the next night some other performer
appears, and the orchestra plays and the
boys in the gallery stamp their feet and
veil, and the people in the boxes betray
their lack of breeding just the same as
ever. Somewhere, away back IN the
house, there may be al old-timer OF two|
who remember and sigh for the departed
favorite, but they are lost III the torgetiul
| crowd. When the average man dies he
may be regretted for a week by some doz-
en- intimates, and sincerely mourned for a
longer time by the few who held him clos
est in life, but with the majority OF those
| who knew him he passes as q tale that IS
told. A short ride to the cemetery, clod
| or two of earth on the coffin and friend
ships part is done, The rest is with the
hireling grave digger. Smith was plea
SAINT fellow and a good citizen, we say,
but he is gone, and Brown, Jones and Ro-
blnson remain. No gloom about it. A
prominent man dies. We give him big
ger funeral and more space in the news
papers than poor Smith got, and that is
about the only difference. There is no
widespread sorrow Not bit OF it. The
musicians get away as soon as possible
and make bee line sor the nearest beer;
the pall-bearers throw away their badges
of mourning; the hackmen drop their pas
sengers here and there on the return trip,
and the remainder of the crowd scatter
where they list. The ihow is over and
the corpse is left alone until the stone
cutters men come and set up over it a
monument bearing an inscription worth
lust so much letter. Widespread sor-
row indeed! Not one person, perhaps,
outside of the family circle Of the deceas-
ed will miss meal because Of his death.
Not tear will be shed, save such surface
moisture as may be squeezed out by some
pathetic reference to the dead man by the
orator of the day, and that will be merely
a tribute to the power of human speech
cunningly brought into play for effect
Who knows all this to be true ! Every
body who will endeavor to recall the
name of some person not allied to them in
close relationship, whose death has caused
them single genuine pang. 1t is safe to
say that there are thousands OF right
thinking people in this town OF Memphis
who cannot remember one hour that was
darkened to them by the death OF any body
not nearly related to and intimately asso,
ciated with them. The dull thud' and
slurid flames have been tabooed by intel
lisently conducted newspapers. Now let
them sit down hard on this obituary
humbug.