The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-11-03
VOTE EARLY.

The papers have lately been busy
| with rumors of bicycling bishop. 1t is
stated that the Bishop Of Colchester in
tends, when proficient, to ride bicycle
along the roads of his diocese, and we
are assured that, though his Lordship
has not yet ventured outside his own
gates, he has for some weeks been en-
gagged in practising on the gravel paths
and down the carriage drive. How this
| knowledge has been obtained is not
stated. Possibly it was by what on the
| Continent is called 'anofficious" COM
| munique OF a press agency--one of
those curious pieces of literature which
| have style all their own, and wrap
| up statement of fact just as a pre-
clous china image is wrapped up in cot
ton wool. More probably however, the
| information was acquired by the less
regular but far more ancient way of
| looking over the hedge.
| The fact that at last a bishop is about
| to become a bicyclist has been the
! signal for a great deal of controversy,
and the whole problem of official dignity
! and what infringes it and what does
not, has been raised in it's acutest form.
1t has long been admitted that curates
Wears, and rectors may ride a cycle,
and even, rural deans are by common
on a safety" AS yet however, the
at rural deans. Above that rank 1t has
not been considered consistent with
| line has been drawn, and drawn strictly
ecclesiastical dignity to go a wheel.
| bishops have all been ruled out of the
Archdeacons, deans bishops, and arch
| delight and conveniences of pedalling.
A vicar may run all over his parish on
a tandem with his curate, but the no.
| ton of bishop cutting about" his
diocese on a bicycle seems utterly alb
| horrent to many minds. And yet there
Is something peculiarly arbitrary and
| unreasonable in maintaining this
taboo
We hold that the Bishop of Colchester
is setting a most excellent example
in thus breaking through an asurd con-
vention, and we hail with delight the
thought that we may some day look
out of the office window and see the
renewable the Archdeacon of London
threading his way through the traffic
on Waterloo Bridge. We confess that
we should not like to see am Arch
bishop with his legs up "coasting"
down a steep hill, but short of that we
have not the slightest objection to the
whole bench adopting cycling as a
means of exercise, enjoyment, and
locomotion. Cycling is essentially a
cheerful exercise, and the bishops have
much to try them. Why then, should
they be precluded from an easy and
pleasant way of throwing off their
worries? bishop troubled by rash
vicar who Is determined to fight his
parish to the death over the question
of restoring the wood-loft and giant
crucifix, might find on his bicycle a
solution which would never occur to
him on foot 1t is absurd to say that
there is anything SO essentially undig-
nified in the bicycle that no man can
ride it and maintain the moral elevation
required in the dignitaries of the church
Why should it be more undignifed to
ride a bicycle than to ride an old gray
horse? We have no anarchical notions
about dignity, and do not wish to con-
tend that there are no pastimes or ac-
lions which are undignified. For exam
pie, we should extremely dislike to see
a bishop on a erry-go-round, and
should pro badly leave the show-field
at once, and even though we knew that
he was there from the purest motives
and was challenging sea- sickness with
the hope of elevating the amusements
Of the masses, and of proving to them
that a man may take even boisterous
pleasures innocently and without the
Fictitious aids ofstrong liquor anc
profane language. But a bicycle is, We
contend, perfectly different from {
merry So-round and may be ridden by
the most exalted person without loss
!, of dignity.
1t is merely because the bicycle is 6
; new invention that to ride it is looked
upon as capable of injuring man!
dignity. We have no doubt that wher
the first horses were tanned and ridder
primitive society was convulsed by th'
/, questino whether the priests 'wht
polished the fetish stone ought to be al
lowed to ride, and whether they would
not become ridiculous, and so socially
disconsidered, if they did so. One car
hear the talk across the ages. Il
, would be all right if the horse KEEP
quiet, but suppose somebody was t.
brighten him and he kicked, and thu
crowd saw day light between the prizes
| and his mount and chaffed? Wha
would then have become of the dignit!
. which ought to attach to the holders o
a sacred, ETC., ETC., etc.," Depend upol
it, the bishops will not be lowered il
: dignity even if they adopt the cycle
Their dignity, in truth depends upol
: themselves. Dignity in the last resort i
, based upon moderation, upon Gaines
of manner, upon good sense and goot
feeling, and not On the adoption of an!
special kind of locomotion. If man i
dignified by nature, riding bicycle il
moderation will not deprive him of hi
dignity. If ali cycIist were obliged t,
q "scorch, and shout and swear a
: people who did not get out of their wa,
= then no doubt it would be better 70
n bishops not to ride. But since a mai
!. may cycle and do none of these things
= 1--we see nor reason why the bench shout,
mot take advantage Of their CATERS, an
ride bicycle for health, pleasure, con
lyenience and economy.-Spectator