El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-03
A Flood Of Kisses
LOmbroso Studies the Epidem-
ic Started BY Hobson.

ic Started BY Hobson.
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A New York special to the Chicago
Times-Herald says: Lombroso, the
Italian criminologist aud alienist, ha'
contributed an article entitled "Ar
Epidemic OF Kisses 10 America" to the
forthcoming August number of the
Pail Mall Gazette. &c
Lieutenant Hobson the pro
lessor ascribes the inception OF thil
epidemic, and he finds sudden ebulli
ton of kisses in America so striking
phenomenon as to call for some ex
animation from q pathological stand
point.
The professor starts out with q mis-
statement of fact, ipasmuch as Hobson'f
first experience in kissing did not take
place at Vassar college, as the PROBES
sor asserts, but at Long Beach. Again,
the professor seems to have taken toe
seriously exaggerated reports OF Hob
sons kissing bees, as witness his open
ing statement:
tine doughty deed Of Lieutenant
Hobson, who scuttled the Merrimac In
Santa go hsrbor and freely risked his
life in the bold project of locking in
Spaniards in their own port is fresh In
the memory of all. We are told that
gave an account of his exploit at Vas.
ssr college. lady who was at the
lecture expressed q wish to kiss the
hero. and her example was followed by
all the ladies present. Hobson subse-
quentiy lectured in all the leading
cities OF the United States, and in the
course of his tour be was kissed by no
fewer than 10. 900 women.
FIGURES OUT THE CAUSES.
SNOW, when we consider the reserve
of.the Auglo-Saxon race in expressing
its enthusiasm, when we consider the
modesty of it's women; when, above all,
we consider the selt-possession and
Observation-Disclosures of the American citi-
ing as to call for some examination
from a pathological standpoint. In the
oaee of Hobson's 10000 kisses, the
strangeness and unconventionality of
which were heightened by their pub
licity, the most striking fact is that he
was addressing crowd of
specially elite persons.
The crowd is a domain
in which the microbe of evil develops
more readily than the microbe of good,
because the good elements of the in
are eliminated by numbers or
by the presence even of single NOR
bid element. Disturbances arise main
ly from the stronger influence which
the few depraved persons in crowd
exercise upon it; for, being of an active
nature, they oversway the virtuous,
"This baleful influence is yet more
marked In a crowd of women partly be-
cause it includes larger proportion OF
kysterical persons who give and re-
ceive suggestions more readily than
others, and partly because, aside from
hysterIcal tendencies, women are
more open to suggestion, more inclined
to run TO extremes, than men.
Tin a highly cultured race, in crowd
der conditions of the most justifiable |
enthusiasm, the outcome, at best no
crime, was nevertheless Q breach of |
social decorum. q violation of that sense
Of uodesty which is so keen in the An
for whom the price OF q
stolen kiss may amount to heavy
due.
DUE TO MILITARY ENTHUSIASM.
"a subsidiary cause of this breach of
1ecorum may have been that sort OF i'm
oerialistic-military ardor kindled in
he United States by the infamies of
spain, with it's absurd and impolitic
'esult of the conquest of the Philip
pines, 30 contrary to American feeling
md tradition"
Concluding, Professor LON broso
Jays: ''Few men are SO worthy of ad-
niration and enthusiasm as Robson.
whose Merrimac exploit is one of the
,ravest deeds of our own times, and
he account of IL, given by the hero
himself, was bound to foment the en-
husiasm of his hearers, who must have
cit as though they had been actually
resent. Under these circumstances
he kissing phenomenon loses much of
is pathological aspect, more especial
y as women are always warm admirers
# military valor. The very prosaism
Thich permeates our times, especially
n America, make these exceptional |
leeds more provocative of admiration
nd enthusiasm.
SIT would augur well for the glory of
he great republic. on which at this
ime the gaze of the whole liberal
1orld is fixed, if, in the flush of vic
Dry, the military ardor of your Amer
,an cousin has restricted itself to this
lngle act. 1t would augur well if, I
sving set one people free, they had !
from girding on the sword to {
orce a7otbnr to slavery.
OLDEST OF LIVING TONGUES.