The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-23
THE PHILOSOPHY OF Boards.
From the Providence Journal.

FROM the PROVIDENCE journal
Are whiskers going out Of fashion?
This is an important question to good
many men, and an authentic answer to
1t is essential. We are by no means sure
that such an answer can yet be given.
The New York Mail ana Express speaks
of "a whiskerless craze that is sweep
ing over the country, but the evidences
of it are not ye. wholly conclusive. Such
changes come slowly. That they do come
is beyond dispute. The time when clean
shaven faces were the rule is still within
the memory of living man. Fifty years
ago boards and moustaches were little
worn. The portraits of that period show
this; they also suggest q reason why.
The old-fashioned stock" required
smooth face to set off its beauties. More
over, 1t took the place of beard In the
case Of men with delicate throats. AS for
the moustache, that was considered alto
gether too rakish for the plain civilian.
In Major Pendennis' time it was an af-
fectation for a man not in the guards to
wear one. But since then the moustache
has ceased to indicate martial ardor. 1t
| is seldom worn long and sweeping, and
curled up iercely at the ends. Except for
| the purpose Of concealing an upper lip
not moulded on Classical models, 1t is a
rather unnecessary adornment. Most
men take very little comfort in 1t. par
| ticuarly at meal times. Perhaps we have
| lost the art of wearing 1t with grace and
| skill. If fashion decrees that boards ana
moustaches must go there will be relief
in the thought after the first shock.
| Meanwhile 1t may be permitted to doubt
| whether "a whiskerless craze really is
| sweeping over the country. The Prince
| of Wales is supposed to be the glass of
fashion and the mould OF form to the
English race. But H. r. H. wears full
beard and a NOUS tache, rather closely cut
and giving an extremely neat appearance
to the face. This is a very different
thing from the Populistic style of whis-
ker, which is long, flowing and often un-
kempt and which by it's disorder betrays
an unquet mind. Indeed, If there is a
growing prejudice against whiskers, we
believe that Pcpulism must be responsible
for it, BARRIERS are never Populists, and
1t Is doubtless with a view Of combating
dangerous errors that they oppose the
raising Of boards. Yet their concern is
perhaps excessive. The influence of hall
on revolution is a subject which has not
been sufficiently investigated to permit
anyone to do2matize upon 1t. But We
should note that among the highly con
servative nations of the east the bearC
Is held in high respect. by the beart
of the Prophet Is a sacred oath. Shy
lock, who was of eastern extraction, mad,
4
he accused him Of plucking him by tn,
beard; and it is a part of the genera
brutality with which he was treated tina
no attention was paid to this insult.
| %
Fashions in boards have ever seemed T.
have their origin in pure caprice. Tn
priests of the western church, for ex
ample, have usually been clean-shaved
IT is expected in the Roman body excep
where reasons of health forbid, and al
though the rule is not so rigid amon
Anglicans the tendency is against hair o.
the face in any form. The typical cler
gyman is clean-shaven. But in the east
ern church, on the other hand, priests ar
required to grow boards, and a man VIII
had none could not become priest at al
, In such cases there is no question of per
sonal appearance involved. Perhaps tn
wearing Of whisEers has gained popular
| ity from the notion that II Is a mark q
, mental and physical superiority. 1t
) the Aryan race that is most profusel
bearded, and the Aryan race has alway
, had a remarkably good opinion of itsel
: | Yet on the other hand it might be argue
, that the wearing Of boards among tn
{ | Romans came into fashion when til
Golden Age was over, when the Ju!iu
! Caesars and the Ciceros had been super
seeded by the Neros and Domitians. I
l the classic sculpture the highest types c
; manly beauty are associated with smoot
, faces. Boards imply physical strength
possibly, but with 1t a certain coarsenes
l | of moral fibre. Such distinctions do ne
, | exist, of course, In these days; and
= whiskers go It will be simply becaus
Z we are tired of them. But for our ow
! part we doubt II they really are to G
| yet.