Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-09-19
DANCING Of FIFTY
YEARS AGO TODAY
BERATED BY WRITER
Betsy Jane" Denounces Waltz
and "Mazourka Urges
Proper Recreation.
OPPOSES THE PUBLIC BALL.
Letter in Washington Standard
for September 19, 1868, In
teresting Today.

ASNesJ'
The tango, the bunny-hug, the horse
trot and the other present Barbary
Coast forms of raging are being de-
nounced and berated to such an extent
that hue and cry are raised all over
the land. In 'the good old days" they
never did anything of the kind-of
course not!-but then they did dance
in fashions those days that brought
forth kicks" from some, as Is shown
by the following letter from Betsy
James," written at Hazel Dell Septem-
ber 4, 1868, and published in the issue
of THE WASHINGTON STANDARD for Sep
tember 19, 1868, just so years ago to-
day:
"a Plea Against the Dance.'
am aware, Mr.. Editor, that have
chosen a subject which may call down
upon me the wrath of many good peO-
pie, but | must be excused If | tread
upon anybody's corns-for | maintain
the corns ought not be there; and in
retaliation l surely will not be so un-
charitable as to deny all crusty old
bachelors, incipient beaux and heed
less misses to apply to me the term OF
"old maid" or any other which will
serve to express their outraged sense
OF propriety. The more sensible pOr-
tion of the community, l know, will
agree with me, whether they are bold
in acknowledging it or not, and with
their approval l am content.
l will not go as far as some and as
sert that the evil tendency of the dance
is always the same or that no really
modest woman will submit to the close
embrace of the waltz or mazourka, for
that is another extreme which l am
equally anxious of avoiding and which
l believe to be overdrawn. ! wish to
treat what are properly denominated
the fancy Dances" unshorn of the
maze which custom has thrown about
them.
l maintain that an act which would
cause the blush of shame to mantle the
face of unsophisticated innocence Is
most likely to be wrong and l defy
those who dissent to select more fall
lible test. The plain quadrille would
be we'll enough if there was aught OF
sense in capering around to the meas
ured scraping Of a fiddle. but 1t is new
ertheless more worthy of the barbar-
Gus and ignorant classes who dance
around their victims doomed to consti-
tute the materials of feast than OF
rational and thinking beings whose
only object is harmless amusement.
But these are very rarely the exclu-
sives forms of dancing at fashionable
parties and modern country dances.
Terpsichore has made too rapid
strides to be content with the old fash
ioned and staid cotillion. The thought
less youth of both sexes find them in
sipid when compared with the "lm-
perial waltz! imported from the
Rhine," and they readily fall into
what custom has declared to be no
sin. So the demure maiden, whose
waist for the first time 10 encircled by
the arm of gallant--whO 1t Is not
necessary should be nearer RELAXED
than stranger-may not repress
feeling of shame, but ere she is whisk-
ed around the room dozen times
dizzy excitement has usurped the place
of shame and she does not again hear
the monatory voice of maidenly mod
esty protesting against the liberty, or
If she does 1t Is subdued by what Gus
tom makes right and proper.
At all public balls there are few ex-
cluded who claim admission. The
price of ticket makes the profession
al gambler and the libertine the equal
of the man of honor and principle. and
he Is privileged to address the pure
and innocent as freely as those whose
society Is not pollution. Now answer
me, fond parents and brothers. can
you allow your innocent daughters and
sisters to submit to the public embrace
OF those classes of men, without fear
that the blasting stain Of sin may not
have left its imprint on the future life
of her whose fame is precious as your
own existence? Can custom entirely
obviate all fear of contamination?
1t is very rare that a maiden enters
the ball room with the wisdom OF the
adult and it generally happens her fu-
ture life Is shaped by the good or Ill
Impression received at precisely the
period she makes her first appear
ance in society" II she Is educated
IN the ball room, blame her not II she
prefers the thoughless, the gay, the
dissolute, to the intellectual, the moral
and the worthy. You, parents. are re-
sponsible for the education OF your
children and the blame is not theirs
II they fall. In the place Of such frlv'
olous, trifling and nonsensical amuse-
ments as dancing, provide proper rec
reation, mental and physical, and your
children will call you blessed.
Shades of Betsy janet" What II
she could see the tango of today!