New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-15
4 QUESTION or HOUSEKEEPING.

II ia n delicate but constantly recurring queS-
ton az to what extent the ministerial profession
may indulge in worldly sports and pastllneS LII
is one of the curious facts in human society tha1
ministers should be held to account SO strictly IN
this regard, while their co-workcrs In the greaC
field of progress and reform, editors. should NC
allowed so much greater liberty. Thus during
the last year no less than three ministers nave
been deposed in this country for indulging in out
door sports to wit, the Reverend 3. T. Howell, OF
Iopolis, ILL.,, for playing croquet; the Reverend
Frank Forsythe, of Rockland, this State, whose
offence was baseball, and clergyman of Newark,
y. j.. whose name has escaped us, whose SIM
bicycle-riding found him out. Still, in the face
of this it is an open secret that certain fIlla-
delphia editor OWLS sixty-pound English hght-
ing bulldog, and the editors Of Kansas Clty are
all of them said to keep game-cocks these uselui
fowls being ordinarily tethered to the desk Oh
their owners with a buckskn thong, and ied
with corn taken in at the countlng-room Oh SUD
scription. But nothing is thought OF these thlhSS
and the editors are not removed from their opneio
Of labor in upralsing the human race. nor 10
we believe that their influence Tor good Is III any
way diminished by these facts being known. BuU
if a clergyman should match dog or set up
cocking-mainl We sbuddcr at the thought
without stopping to inquire why the popular
standard Of conduct established for two pro-
LESSONS laboring side by side should amer 50
greatly we will hasten on and obtain glance
at another case where it seems probable that
ministerial usefulness will be cut short by the
prejudice against field and road sports. year ago
it appeared that this very case might possibly
mark the dawn of more liberal popular spirit,
but it seems likely now that conservatism is going
TO prevail after all We have reference to the
propensity of the Reverend j. W. Arney, OF
Saranac, Mich, for horse racing At the meeting
of the conference at Afuskegon year ago
the reverend gentleman was called up and prom
Use was exacted from him that ne would do better
A committee was appointed to see that he kept
his promise This we say, seemed TO presage
mOre liberality, as ordinarily he would have Deen
instantly expelled and we do not know but there
is still some hope for change in feeling, since the
committee has reported that he has not kept ms
promise to stop racing and he is still retained as
q minister in good standing But he has been
severely admonished by Bishop Newman, and 1t
seems only question of time when he will hear
the word addressed to himself which has so often
rung in his ears during his hours of relaxation
the word "GO!'
Our recollection of the facts reported year
ago as TO the Reverend Mr.. Arney's turf career
NAV not be exact, but as we remember it he con-
the exception of an occasional hundred-yard dash
in Squire NortOn's back pasture Saturday after
Moons His offence usually is, we believe, to try
short heat with a neighbor on the road. lie
greatly uslikes TO have dust thrown in his face,
but has no objections to casting back any amount
Of gravel on the brother behind with the slower
horse. lie is charged with repeatedly overtaking
another person on the road, perhaps q stranger or
perhaps a neghbor or member of his flock, and of
turning out at one side and going past at just as
fast gait as is necessary lie has long-legged
bay horse named Samson. and when the reverend
gentleman overtakes another vehicle he has only
to turn Samson out at the side of the road, shake
the reins encouragngly and hit the dashboard
with the butt-end of his whip, and Samson will
take the bit in his teeth, put down his head and
run like q frightened wolf 1t is said that there
is not another horse ON the Auskegon circuit that
can keep up with Samson. He seems equally at
home i'm q short dash and in o long, steady run of
three or four miles. lie has thrown dust in the
faces Of the investigating committee five several
occasions, though once they were driving horse
brought up from Detroit especially to humble
him.
On the whole, it seems TO us that the best thing
the Reverend Mr.. Arney can do is to give up his
racing, and thus keep his place in the ministry,
even if there is no good logical reason why min
ister may not enjoy o little quiet spin simply be-
cause somebody else happens to be spinning in the
same direction. We presume that he would find
it much easier TO put down the racing habit if he
were to dispose of Samson and get slower horse.