Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-15
FUNERAL REFORM.


read BY him on Monday last at meet
ing Of the Ministerial Union OF this city,
was all that had been expected OF MN;
and this Is saying great deal. TOT Ut.
Hoge Is almost infallible In dealing win
such questions as he treated on Monday.
Dy. Hoge's first contention was that
whenever practicable funerals should oe
held on some other day than Sunday. lie
argued that TO select that day when no
necessity exists Is to be deprecated
Here DIR. Hoge stopped awhile to say
word against the practice OF visiuns
the cemeteries in crowds on Sunday
THE accompanying rabble" which fol-
lows up a procession OF soldiers came IN
for a word OF disapproval. III the time
for a funeral be fixed at the hour OF the
regular service in the church. then many
who are not interested in the event are
disappointed at such a substitute for their
ordinary Worship; and II the hour for the
funeral Is fixed in the interval between
the usual services, then an undue amount
of labor is imposed on pastors. And this
Is no small matter In the cases or those
pastors who have a large membership In
their churches and large congregations
worshpping with that membership"
In regard to the cost Of funerals, DR..
Hoge said that probably all would admit
that reform is possible, practicable, and de-
sirable. "A man may ordinarily regulate
his household expenses according TO his
means of living. but he finds this privi-
lege taken away when a death occurs In
his family" why should this be so?
DR.. Hoge answers: Because OF the pre-
vaillng custom" 1--WE feel as IL we would
like to substitute fashion" for "cus-
tom'D. DR.. Hoge says that the unneces-
sary expenses incurred by the poorer
people could be avoided. II the richer
people would set good example. Would
that this custom could be rooted UP, and
all classes OF people. rich and poor, con-
tent themselves with funeral demonstra-
lions becoming the occasion without
reference TO whether these demonstra-
tions were made by the rich or the poor
DR.. Hoge next discussed exposure at
the grave. He spoke the unyarnIshed
truth when he said that some are now
sleeping In our cemeteries who would
in all probability still be amongst
the living. but for the disre-
gard Of the natural laws Of health by
persons attending funerals. Standing
with uncovered heads is the most COM
mon form of dlsregarding the natural
laws of health.
AS to the question OF wearing mourning,
DR.. Hoge said
There must be something congenial TO
the sorrowing heart in the sombre habili-
ments OF woe, or they would not be 50
generally worn. Notwithstanding the pro
tests OF physicians, the confessed dis
comfort OF the suffocating veil, and the
often unwelcome appeals to sympathy
which these badges OF private grief make
TO unlnterested spectators in public as
semblies. The sincerity OF grief
Eeed not be questioned on the part OF
those who have the moral courage to dis
card these external badges of personal
sorrow. Without giving offence to those
who differ from us, we may at least
commend the decision Of those who never
put on mourning for the sake of their
example to those whose straitened cir
cumstances forbid the expense entailed
sometimes on large families who can III
afford this indulgence In the luxury Of
Woe"
We mention one other thing which we
have not seen referred to--namely. the
inconsistency between the sombre habit
ments and the happy smiles which may
often be seen on these mourners' faces
few months after the dead are COM
mitted to the grave.
Double funeral services were next
touched upon by Dr. Hoge. We take 1t
that nobody Will defend the custom OF
using a double service or ritual. To do
so seems to be too much like a mockery,
though, OF course. it does not appear in
that aspect to the Rourners.
On the subject of the preaching OF
funeral sermons, DR.. Hoge said:
Lastly, we come to the consideration
Of question about which different views
are held, and yet one upon which public
opinion seems to be steadily approaching
an agreement There are arguments in
favor of sermons or addresses as a part
OF funeral services which are entitled
to attention. The most weighty of them
is the opportunity the funeral gives for
reaching class of men who rarely enter
a church. but who may be touched by an
appeal made more impressive by the
solemnites Of the occasion. Notwith
standing that such opportunities do occur.
there are other considerations which seem
TO overbalance this advantage in the es-
timation Of the Christian public"
ut Is safe to say that the cultivated
moral sense of the community is less
and less in sympathy with funeral dis
courses"
To that last quotation from DR.. Hoge
we add the following from Rev. L. Law
renee, Of England, and thus close our
article:
"The dead body is retained too long
unburied, whereby the last recollection
of the ineffable beauty which is the pc
culiar characteristic of the recently-dead
is marred and the body suffers an indig-
nifty from which II should be spared.
Only those whose dweliing-place consists
solely OF one room know how great is
this evil"
-- ---------
Now that Lamb and Waddlll have
shaken hands, II may as well be accepted
by Virginia Democrats as beyond ques-
ton that the Republicans will all get
together before the time to vote arrives