New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-16
A DENORiLTZING CRi/E.

one of the remarkable phenomena of the
time is the motto craze. 1t sprang into being
ful-nedged as silently and mysteriously as Il
mushroom in the night No one knows whence
II came or why IL came. Without warning men
appeared on the streets Offering for sale badges
or buttons bearing all manner OF notices. ana
Immediately hundreds Of thousands Of boys and
some grown men evlnced "A desire to buy ana
wear them Never was there a more senseless
or foolish craze. There in view welcome
signs Of it's subsiden.e. bu, a good many dollars
must ALREADY have been worse than thrown
away In the purchase II these emblems II IL
natural to associate the general desire for
badgc-wearng among certain classes Of people
with the political buttons that blossom out In
every campaign especially In campaigns that
involve the election OF "A President. II there Is
any connection between them it il difficult to
perceive II. To wear political emblem. gener-
ally bearing a picture Of ones favorite cand-
date is something that any rational person can
do without loss OF dignity or self-respec'. The
motto badges. 50 called. are a very different
thing Many OF the notices are IN the worst
possible taste. are eleNating; some are posi-
tivel, vulgar The sentm rnts In general are
such that they can produce no good effect on
the minds OF the boys who To 50 large an extent
are the victims OF the badge craze.
II is an encouraging sign that In some quar-
tcrs steps have been taken officially to stay the
progress 81 this demoralzing fad. w" have
heard of one railroad company which has given
orders that motto badges shall not be worn by
its conductors and Haunted in the faces Of the
| passengers whose tickets they punching In
Hoboken IT has been found that the minds Of
| the children are distracted from their studies
| by IN. attention bestowed 10y almost all Of them
| on the motto buttons and orders have been
| issued by the head OF the educational depart
| rent that no badges shall be- worn in the schools
| OF that city except badges of a political char
| actcr The reason for the exception Is obvious,
and the president Of the Board Of Education In
Hoboken Is OF the opinion that political buttons
| and badges are an incentive to patriotism. His
action In reference to those OF the other sort
will be commended by all sensible persons. and
| II IL not beyond belief that II might be initiated
with advantage elsewhere. In Brooklyn. we
| notice a similar movement has been begun
| In small way The power Of school au-
| thorities, however, does not extend beyond
school hours nor outside ~ school buildings
| II the effort 10 do away with notices OF an inn
proper and degrading sort is to be successful
| the work must he done by parents at home
| 1t may be doubted whether many fathers and
| mothers are aware OF what their children are
| doing in this matter. and careful inquiries may
| bring out unpleasant revelations.
| This craze should be Of short life. II has no
| shadow Of reason for existing. 1t IL abominable
| that the language of the barroom and the
| gutter should i'm this way he made familiar t.
| children who have been carefully brought uT
| and shielded from demoralizng influences. This
| Is form Of evil that no statute can reach 80
| long as the badgemakcrs avoid actual in
| decency but every influence that parents. teach
| era and all who have to do with the young can
exert should be employed in impressing on the
minds Of boys and girls that the widely prey
| alent pra ctice Of wearing motto badges IL silly
| and vulgar and to be eschewed