Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-13

Il 49, 49, 49, wv -~~e - -
It Originated as a Means of Ex-
pressing Religious Emotion-The
| History of Pleasure Dancing-To-
Day it is Sinful and Injurious to
the HEALTH Other Religious Mat
| tiers.
In the Fourth Street Methodist Epis-
copal Church last night standing room
was at premium.
On the previous Sunday the pastor
took occasion to den0unce the theaters
in vigorous language; and the an
nouncement that dancing would be his
theme last night attracted very large
| congregation.
In his Introductory remarks the pas
tor stated that he had never had any
experimental acquaintance with his
subject. He never danced, although he
did not have club foot. Some might
say this fact might be disqualified
tion for discussing the subject.
Is 1t necessary that a man should
have delirium tremens in order to dis
cuss the evil of intemperance?
Is it needful for man to be hanged
to discuss the eXpediency of that per-
Torrance?
Is it necessary to dance, or to go to
the theater, to know whether one or
the other is wrong or right?
DR.. Sooy stated that he had carefully
considered the subject, both as lay
man and as minister, and he had ar
rived at the conclusion that the dance,
as it is conducted to-day, is tree of
which the only fruit is the apple Of
Sodom. He disclaimed the intention of
saying bitter things, or of offending
those who indulge in dancing. He
would speak only from the standpoint
OF common sense, and asked his lis
teners to look at it from standpoint
of common morals.
The dance has an evil reputation.
The time was when it was devout
custom, used to express religious emo
lions. The Scriptures mention it's use
as purely religious ceremony, but no.
where as social amusement. DR.. Sooy
would be willing that man should
dance with ''all his might" if zeal or
love of duty prompted him. Such
dances, however, would soon become
unpopular. The widest devotee of the
modern pleasure dance will not con-
tend that it is an imitation of the de-
won't festivities of the israelites.
The modern dance had its ORR
gin in Greece, in the feasts
of Bacchus, the wine-god Plato
tells us he has seen all the in
habitants of Athens in a perfect state
of intoxication at one of these Bacha-
nalian feasts. His description is pic
t,rr IF hn lo Of
day.
Rome took up with this thing and
the pleasure dance began to decline.
1t came to be considered beneath the
dignity Of reputable persons to dance.
Popular disapproval went SO far that
the Roman Senate passed a law forbid
ding and placing a penalty upon this
observance. Thus the practice in which
the modern dance had its origin was
pronounced by heather Senate, be-
fore the Christian era, as infamous and
scandalous.
DR.. Sooy took occasion to refer to
the prevalence of dancing in Paris,
and he likened the dancing masters
sent out from that city to the plaques
of Egypt. From the same city came
professional dancing girls, who execute
suggestive movements, while the gall
leries thunder with applause and hearts
in the pit throb with ecstacy and de-
light.
To the possible objection that it is
unfair to compare American dances
with Partisan dances, DR.. Sooy directed
his listeners to any of the summer re-
sorts, or to the dancing saloons in
the larger cities. He knew of nothing
more destructive to the morals of
young men than these gilded palaces.
If vice ever seems virtue, it is there;
if destruction ever seems certain, it is
there
The dance is positively hurtful to
health. The delicate girl dances in a
hot, crowded ball room, contracts
cold, then consumption and death.
Every community has it's examples.
Yet Christian fathers and mothers will
commend the dance as wholesome ex-
ercise. If this ever was true, the time
is gone. With modern gymnasiums,
and calisthenics. and the admirable
system of Delsartean movement, no
woman needs dancing to acquire grace
and health.
They talk of these quiet little parlor
dances, If we send our children to
dancing schools, let us never forget
that we will be unable to confine their
performances to the quiet parlor. The
girl who thinks she is proficient in the
so-called art, don't want to hide her
light under a bushel. The parlor is
only the place for rehearsal for the
public performance.
The speaker passed to a discussion
of the unhappy relations and indecen-
cies of the dance AS you go down
in the grade of ignorance and vice, ne
said, the dance increases AS you go
up in the grade Of intelligence and
virtue, the dance decreases True in
tellect, true culture, never dances.
THE city Of Wheeling astonishes me
in its lack of intellectual culture.
1t is, to my amazement. entirely lack
ing in that which cultivates the mind.
Where are our history and art clubs,
our Chatauqua literary circles? Some
were started, but they were short
lived. When we look at Wheeling to,
day, we find progressive euchre parties
on every hand, and dancing and thea
tres running away with the minds Of
the people, many of them Christian
people, too. ! am here to say that you
are on the down grade"
DR.. Sooy gave the opinions of prom
inent churchmen to sIpport his reosi