New-York tribune., 1892-08-24
TIE ANTI-HUGGING Epidemic.

Human nature is not supposed to change much
indeed, we refuse to believe that 1t has changed.
If people could all ont brand-ncw every sum
mcr like the fashions no doubt il would bc very
interesting and perhaps exciting. but such is not
the case Take the fascinating creature. woman,
for instance il she got an entirely new nature on
the first Of every May the agitation which II
would introduce into the round of life would be
something appalling TO contemplate, but she
doesn't Woman Is the same this summer that
she was last summer, and the summer before that,
and all the other summers back to the first in
yention of the season. Thcrcforc-this being duly
cstablished-the fact that upward OF two score
men have been arrested this summer and prose
cuted bv young women for attempts on the part
OF the defendants to hug the plaintiffs must be
accounted for on some other grounds than change
in woman's nature We never heard of IL man be
ing arrested for trying to hug young woman be-
fore. but this summer it il impossible to takc up
paper without finding one or more accounts OF such
occurrences. Woman's nature has not changed;
surely there attempts at hugging in past
scas,ns therefore but one conclusion Is possible,
namely, that man il losing his cunning and bccom-
IND an awkward bunglcr who deserves to bo ar
rested
The movement first started n month ago at
Plcasantyilc, n. j., where one Charles Pierce was
fined and put under bonds 10 keep the peace for
hueging n Miss Lizzie Kclser while out driving.
Then "a similar case was reported from Chicago,
and another from Michigan, then followed the
dclugc and they came In from all parts Of the
Union or course, Brooklyn sh0ne with great lus-
trc in such n contest as this and for three weeks
the Lee Avenue Police Court has been actually
crowded with Indignant, freshly hugged young
women and shcepish-ool;ing young men, wonder
ing if they have got money enough to pay their
fines. Yesterday morning Ncw-Jers"y again came
10 the front, this time with the Of Mr.. Will
lam ). Walsh, said to be an cx-cditOr Of "Lippin-
colts Magazine, who had been fined So for cnI-
bracing Mis- Aida Uoak. daughter OF Mr. James
Doak president of the Cape May City Council
Mr. Walsh, the dispatch says, denied that he
had acted IMPROPERLY Indeed we cannot sec that
c did since Miss Doak is said to be one of the
prctticst young ladies living at Cape May We
fail To understand how there is anything improper
in huegng the pretticst young lady in town, at
Cape May or elsewhere Nevertheless Mr.. Walsh
had TO pay his line. II magazine editors thus
going to fall into the trap there doesn't seem to
be much hope for other people.
Why the young men have lost their skill this
summer and are constantly offending young ladies
heretofore harmless and hugable is u mystery
which we cannot explain. But there must be
something wrong with them, and on the whole,
We think that they ought TO be ashamed Of them
selves. We don't blame the young ladies Tor hav-
ing the numbering and awkward young men ar
rested A young man who can't hug young
woman without the cid Of criminal lawyer and
bondsnan has no place in this world.