Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-04-16

time, az least.
While there is so much of destitu
ton in the world, SO much suffer
ing, even for the want of life's
necessaries, 50 much that might be
done, extravaganza with and waste Of
our resources is and must be harmful;
we may go farther, and say it is wick
ed. And while this statement will sug-
gest the undue outlay often witnessed
in the case OF entertainments, parties,
dinners, ETC., the sums squandered on
dances, theatricals and the like, it will
also take in the thought of wanton de-
s6ruction of life, Of birds, beasts and
fishes, not for food, nor any good pur-
pose, but merely for sport.
This naturally and inevitably leads
up to the thought which will scarcely
need argument or defence, that the
harmful element is palpably present
wherever cruelty appears, or that
which tends to cruelty. And what
list Of popular amusements is open to
this Indictment: not merely are dog
fighting, cock fighting, the prize ring
also, as they are often conducted,
sports and trials, strength and en-
duranee, ostensibly more refined.
Horse racing is not exempt from the
charge: nor are all the contests vol
UNFAIRLY engaged in by human bipeds,
even with high sanction, as witness
some of our football games, and their
results. But the field is wider even
than this. Cruelty enters where we
make the weak, the defenceless, the
| deformed, the unfortunate Of any
class, the butt of our wit. Negro min
strel performances have against them
something more than the fact that
burnt cork isn't very clean and adds
nothing to the music; this for one
thing: that mimicry and implied rid
icule Of a long oppressed and down
trodden race is of the very essence of
the performance.
The sensualistic in amusements is
harmful and can not be otherwise. So
evident is this that service would be
more truly rendered in exposing that
element wherever it enters than by de-
Tending the proposition. The circus will
naturally suggest itself under this
head and the theater; also the opera,
which quite differs from the theater,
as the young lady explained to her
somewhat scrupulous aunt from the
country, chiefly in that sit is MORE
more, why, m-o-r-e''- and there
she stuck.
But sensualism in the theater is not
to be conceived of as belonging ex-
clusively to the metropolis where
realistic setting and high grade pro-
fessional acting can be afforded. AS
a matter of fact, the main attraction
in almost any piece brought out
by the most unpretentious amateur
dramatic club, is, with the many, it's
sensualism! Writers of plays under
stand this, so that the play ostensibly
the most moral must have its ''spice"
One who honestly set out with the
purpose of finding play clean enough |
for company Of pure minded and |
self respecting young people to act,
confessed his failure after examining
more than q hundred.
Sensulism is the spirit of the ball /
room, the soul of the dance,-unrec-
ognized by many certainly; therein
is one great attraction; but real, /
though unrecognized. How any can
question or doubt it after it little |
candid, careful thought, once their
attention has been directed to the
matter, is a mystery. Eliminate the
liberties permitted, nay enioined in
the dance, and tolerated nowhere else /
among people making any claim to
respectability, let The sexes dance
apart and how 10 ng would the ball
room thrive?
Again there lis the corruptive ele-
ment-that of evil association. How
ever innocent q given form Of amuse-
me1t may seem to be- its indulgence
naturally throws Us into the society
Of the vicious and low, that is pre-
sumptive evidence against the amuse-
ment itself and certain proof that we
should eschew its practice. No harm
in billiards in themselves, very true;
but they have fallen into bad COM
pany, and become smutted beyond
cleansing; they carry the aroma OF
smoking, drinking, gambling, OBJ
scenity; and not even the atmos
phere Of the church parlor can puri
fy them. Teach your boy to play at
home and he will soon seek the pub
lie hall or saloon to practice his ac-
QUESTION or encounter greater skill.
This factor OF association must often