Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-01
A HOLD CONTEMPORARY.

The stanton Spectator and NIndica'o'
has the moral courage 20 throw down inc
gauntlet 10 circuses. and openly an"
blushingly. and unhesiiatingly asserts
that these time-honored institutions 90
not always present what they adveru'e'
Our contemporary does not speak uh''u-
yisedly or without a thorough e1anina-
ton Of all the facts IN issue. only ias'
week the pretty little town OF stanton
c,ioved The society OF two great shows
and we doubt not that many OF her
younger sons lent hand VI touns
,coter 10 the elephant" Certain II Is that
hundreds-nay. thousands-off Augusta
good and thrifty citizens came to town
nartook Of the red lemonade, allowed
themselves to be coaxed into the side
shows. and ultimately wound up In the
big tent. where they fed the double-oar-
rolled pachyderms with peanuts and poKed
the ribs OF recumbent carnivora who re-
fused 10 show themselves in thei. cages.
An this we know, for here IS what tho
vindicator says: There was the ele-
phant. the lion the tiger, the zebra, the
fakir. the side-show, the clown. just us
was the case when we saw our first
show. and the same as every other per-
son has witnessed, but Notwithstanding,
the people came, spent their money, ana
made themselves believe they had good
time"
From the above description, in which
we sniff the scent Of sawdust and
cbuckle over the facetiae Of the clown,
we infer that our contemporary. thinks
excuses are too immutable. In other
words. they're 1.-The same thing over
again" This. alas, is true We might
even 20 so far as 60 say that their red
lemonade of to-day is the same rubicund
fluid that caused our mouth to water
some thirty-well no matter how many
years ago.
Time was when Tiberus Nero, the Mark
A. Hanna of ancient Rome, could enliyen
these entertainments with human bar
becues and gladiatorial scraps" but
that day has passed. Now we have only
the pleasing anticipations generated by
flaming posters, and the actual realiza-
ton Of the fact that we have been
faxed" We agree with our contem-
porary that circus bills are not truthful;
that they destroy confidence in our fell
low-creatures; that they are hyperbolical
and diabolical; that they deludc the inno-
cent and make philanthropists pessimis;ic,
but for all that we do not say that we
would decline a private-bOX at the next
show that comes to town.
1t is not our purpose to be personal
and We shall cite a strictly hypothetical
case TO show why circuses sometimes
prove most distasteful. Let us whisper
the reason. Some years ago-it's not re-
cessary TO mention dates-we went 10
show and came back Disguised. That
day we laid our youth aside. We real
lied that We were no longer young; that
We were bald and had lost several teeth,
10 say nothing OF having an occasional
touch of rheumatism. That day we put
aside childish thoughts, and henceforth
we saw circuses I'm their true light. Never
since have we been able TO I'll the void.
Vainly do we say, backward, turn back
ward, o time, in your dight!" for never
again will the elephant seem the sans
or the monkeys prove so funny. The
circuses are frauds, We admit, but when
we recall a certain covey of cherubs we
grow forgiving and say, well, at least
they're pious frauds"