Morning journal and courier., 1894-01-25
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL
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EDUoATRRssEs AND WHIST.


There 10 always something interesting
going on "out west" Just now the sgita.
ton is central in an Illinois town, and the
disturbance is over q combination of cards
and female school teachers. The educa-
tresses of the place felt that they needed
something to vary the monotony of teach.
ing children who didn't want to learn, and
so they formed whist club and played at
regular intervals. Members of the board OF
education heard of 1t and the boss of the
board issued . proclamation to the school
mistresses that their conduct in using cards
in any manner was immoral and that they
must stop 1t or resign. There is q mayor
In the town who is no more afraid
to say what he wants to than is our
own mayor, and he rose from his
seat on the charter and told the educs-
tional ladies that they needn't mind what
the boss of the board of education said
that he himself was the real boss of the
town and that they could 60 right on play
ing cards without fear of euoh conse
quences a. they had been threatened wishs
An appeal to the courts is talked of, and
there Is no silence.
We feel safe in taking sides at this dis.
tance from the field of battle, and We shall
therefore mildly lean against the educa-
tionaI ladies. It seems to us that they
have been foolish in provoking such
row. To be sure. 1t probably
..a,,,. - <h.n, That an alta oI n, tbair Nov
sonal liberty has been made, but they could
have got over that by promptly and cheer
fully announcing that it was their choice
not to do anything that might even be
thought prejudicial to education and NOR
slity. They could thus have had their
own way and shown what high and deep
regard they have for that which Is of good
report. They ought not to have raised any
question about their morality by refusing
to take the judgment of the head man of
the board concerning any question of NOR
ais.
So much for their lack of wisdom. Now
as to the main question. Are they i'm.
moral because they play whist regularly
We guess they are little. 1t is not strict
ly moral for people occupying the place In
society that educational ladies do to openly
and notoriously devote themselves to an
amusement that Is at least tainted, and
that has the deep dieapprobation of large
part of every moral community. Thei,
action Is not an example which can be
safely followed by all, and they should
therefore not set it. They would
be better employed knitting, OF
even in provoking the young mer
of the town to beseeoh then
for the blessed privilege of buying theil
duds and paying their board. Theil
female whist playing is somewhat i'm
moral because 1t is female and tends to de
| feat the order of nature. Educstiona
ladies who are satisfied with female whis
| playing will not wed and they would no
make good wives if they did.
We will not speak of the immoral wa.
in which most women play whist, ant
which has the severest condemnation o
whist players who play the game consci
entiouely and morally. 1t does not nee
reference to this well-known fact t
strengthen the Indictment against the I'LL
nois educational ladies. They fhould i'm
mediately throw up their hands and sui
render. And as for the mayor who is aid
ing and sbetting them, We should like t
ask him If he really and honestly think
that habitual female whist playing Is CON
patible with either adequate education O
strict morality.