The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-22
ALMOST EXTREME
END OF THE LIMIT
Doctor Resigns From Art So
ciety Because Riley's
Poem Is Recited.
1T MENTIONS TOBACCO
Not Only Once, but Four
Times, Says Crusader
Against Weed-awful!

When my truant fancy wanders with
that old sweetheart of mine.
] can see the pink sunbonnet and the
little chcckered dress
She wore when ] first kissed her and
she answered the caress.
With the written declaration that "as
surely as the vine
Grew round the stump" she loved me
that old sweetheart Of mine.
But. all! My dream is broken by
step upon the stair.
And the door Is opened softly-my
wife is standing there;
Yet with cagerncss and rapture all my
visions ! resign
To greet the living presence of that
old sweetheart of mine.
New York. April 22.-These lines by
James Whitcomb Riley. now dying in
Indianapolis, were recited by an elev-
en- year old girl at the International
Art Society's entertainment in the Ho-
tel Aston. The society's president Is
Mrs. J. Christopher Marks of No. 154
East Forty.Sixth street. wife of the Or
ganist OF the Church of the Heavenly
Rest Mrs. Marks had organized n
children's branch of her society.
The entertainment was planned to
show the parent society how well the
youngsters were getting on. Little
Aline l.. MacMahon Of No. 1866 Forty
eighth street. Brooklyn. recited sew
cral Riley poems, including THAT Old
Sweetheart o. Mine"
Mrs. Marks was astounded to re-
ceive letter from Dr. Charles G.
Pease OF No. 1O1 West Seventy Sec
ond street, who has conducted crusad-
es against the use OF tobacco. The
doctor did not like poem that "laud-
ed tobacco" and represented a revery
aroused by tobacco" So the letter
contained his resignation from the So
ciety.
He said that the poem, in which
"the opium Of the west" tobacco. was
presented In "a most voluptous and
seductive way" and was not fit even
for a fourth rate concert hall and its
reading by a precocious child before
children, some Of very tender years..
constituted a crime against the hui
man family and a sin before God"
"The society" he continued, that
popularizes the use of Liquors or to-
bacco Ia a menace to the race. and il
II does II In the guise of art and mu-
sic II Is still greater favtor for evil"
Mro Morks nv NrooooJ horco1f eroo1y
1.-THE letter Ia not only an insult to
me-" she said. but is an insult to a
great poet Some of the best known
musicians In the city belong to our
society. My husband is a church Or
ganist and he certainly would not
countcnance anything wrong. Recent
ly DIR. Pease came to me and wanted
me to hang plscards all over the ball
room Of the Aston, forbidding smoking,
~ he does with some other societies.
II said to him, Doctor. we do not
need such signs. None here would
think Of smoking In the ballroom. This
IA not Second avenue. You might
need your signs there
"Dr. Pcase threatened to resign IL
did not consent to his hanging up
those placards. There was a recep-
'tion In my home one day, and DIR.
.pease was shown to room Pipes be-
longing to my son were on a shelf
DIR Pcase hid all the pipes so that
they could not be found"
Il did not hide any pipes" said DIR.
Pease In his home. unless laying a
leaflct against the use of tobacco over
them can be called hiding them"
ITO what do you object in Riley's
poem" the doctor was asked.
1T mentions tobacco four times
distinctly. and It is supposed to be the
dream Of smoker"
How was the performance, 'seduc.
tive and 'voluptous?'
well. the little girl threw her arms
over her head and there was an ex-
preston Of infinite bliss upon her face
when she spoke of the delights of to-
bacco. No wonder our women are be.
coming degraded when our children
are permitted to conduct themselves
So"