The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-21
THE BARRY TRAGEDY.


Sunday afternoon, resulting in the death
OF most estimable young man is pam
fully Illustrative of certain peculiarit.es
Of American social life, to which refer
ence is very rarely made and for the re-
moval or modification of which no effort
whatever is being put forward.
So far as the public knows the tragedy
arose out of the commonplace circum-
stance of one young man asking another
for the accommodation of match The
misunderstanding, arising either out Of
the request or it's disregard, seems to
nave aroused the mems worst passions,
and bitter physical struggle was the
result
Save in American society alone, it is
doubtful whether two young men of the
Intelligence of these, and in the same
rank of life, would have engaged them
selves on a Sunday afternoon in a rough
and-tumble fight such as followed, OF
whether it would be possible to have
such a struggle progress to such a ter
any extent in the presence of a large
number of able-bodied men as observers.
1t is true that on the established
canons of individual conduct there was
but little recourse for young Barry but
to act as ne did The young man did
what any other high-spirited young fell
low would be expected to TO- He did
not stop to consider what a wrong he
did himself and mis- friends by resenting
the attack made upon him. Were he not
himself the victim of a false and brutal
conception of manIiness, he would have
taken account of the time and
place, and refused to have anything
whatever to say to his assailant. Had
he done so, however, he would in all
probability have been branded for what
he very plainly was not-a coward.
We boast of our civilization, Of our
freedom and equality. But we take no
account in measuring ourselves with
other races of the frequency of such in
cidents. Considering indeed their fire.
pency, the wonder is that so few muir
1ers eventuate from them. A sharp word
is almost invariably attended by a blow
and just such scenes as took place On
Wabasha street on Sunday afternoon.
Meekness and gentIeness of conduct I'M
der such Indictment pass among us for
cowardice True concepts alike of corr
age and refinement would have prevent
ed any such occurrence. They would have
relieved young Barry from the false OBJ
legation which he thought rested upon
MIN to resent in like manner the ad-
Vances made by his antagonist. Physical
prowess is worshiped among us where
moral courage and true dignity of char
acter pass for poltroonerv. or are tauoh-
ed at as unworthy of men. Our religion
teaches us to return good for evil. to sup
press the animal instinct within us and
TO avoid strife at all hazards. While
showing our inability to meet the ra-
qulfenents of our own system of Chris
tan civilization, we take great pride in
our self-sacrifcing endeavors to extend
them to other races.
As long as we remain as far removed
as we are today from true IDEAS Of
Christian conduct we will go on preach
ing gentIeness and forbearanea in nov
sonaI relations and practicing- according
10 the standards prevailing among races
lowest IN the scale of true civilization.
and such Incidents as that which s,,m-
marty removed from life superior
young man Will continue of daily and
hourly occurrence.