The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-06-20
Expression or Suppression

While "on the road" have frequent
ly had to ''stay over" at country towns.
And | confess know of nothing more
dreary and lonesome than a poorly
lighted rural village in the evening with
its stores closed, its streets deserted,
and not a place of recreation in the
town.
AS write am thinking of one in
particular. II was Sunday. went to
church. Heard sermon on the Straight
and Narrow Path" The exhortation
was to ''Forsake all and follow me. The
minister scored the young people of our
age as "play mad" and amusement
crazy" He condemned the spirit of the
times as self-indulgence, etc. His whole
i9ea was SUPPRESSION rather than express
sion of life. The church was less than
half full. mostly women, one solitary
young man was noted outside of myself
and was not surprised.
After listening to that minister for
half an hour, | went out to the woods
to listen to God for change. The day
was clear and beautiful. The whole
landscape was softened with green and
lit with flowers like lamps with many
colored fires. Among the trees birds
were fitting and squirrels were frolick-
ing about in glee. Here was dog-tooth
violet shooting its stars and there was a
trillium blazing like burning bush"
made purple with sacrificial blood.
Here indeed was a religious atmos-
phere. But the whole panorama was
preaching the gospel of expression.
Here for instance was wild rosebud
leaning away from the shrubbery and
unfolding it's ruddy lips to be kissed by
the sun. Expression everywhere. Sup
preston nowhere. So far as could dis
cern God had made no place for sup
preston in his divine plan. No asperity
of the hyper-cnthusiastic religionist
here. But for my souls health no hu-
man discourse could equal this sermon
of the woods. No man-built edifce could
duplicate this sabbatical hush. No NOR
tai choir could voice paeans as sublimely
beautiful as these organs of the winds
and praise-hymns of the birds.
Next morning | arose from a dingy
hotel and spent the day in conversations
with the business men, editor, principal
of schools, and village trustees. Most
of these men congratulated themselves
in that they had just been successful in
voting their dance hall closed. They had
closed the billiard room some time ago
and had just saddled a license fee upon
the moving picture man and restricted
his hours to degree equivalent to pro-
hibition. One city "reformer" related
with triumphant pride how he had "tied
can to a bunch of them merry-go-
round fellows that wanted to drive their
stakes inside our village" He reckoned
now the young people would stay at
home and save their money. But, alas,
poor deluded old pharisee, the play in
stinct is not so easily suppressed. In
stead of staying at home and saving
their money, most of the young men
were boarding the interurban for the
larger city where they spent more mon
ey in much more questionable manner
in addition to their carfares. Others
were leaving the village constantly and
permanently for the city as their future
home.
What else could any sane man expect?
To be sure, places of public amusement
of every kind need censorship and sane
regulation. And shame on the city or
village government that doesn't do this
wisely and without fanaticism or furor.