The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-16
PEOPLES FORUM
Ciergophobia Among Our Military.

Editor The Nirg1niau
SRA new disease. nervous disorder,
seems 10 have broken out In our legislature.
Judging from the manifestations and synlp-
toms the most appropriate name for IT would
he TNergophobia meaning. of course. Fear Of
Preachers" The sight Of preacher in or
about the State capitol seems to set the un~
happy victim all on fire with agitation and pro-
test Ii seems to have the same effect as the
sight Of water mad dog, or the sight Of a
BLACK cat the superstitiously inclined.
And slnguarly enough, the disease seems to
prevail most among the members of the mill
1arv profession.
The other day an officer Of our crack Rich
mond military met mild-mannered priest in
protection of rho house and tho speaker s
gavel and gave vent to howl of terror and fear
that reverberated throughout the cloak rooms
and closets of the capitol, and was re-echoed
In the exclusive sanctums OF the Times DA-
patch and the News Leader to utter conSfer-
nation of typewriters- and telephones. This
heroic captain or major the may be.
has soul stirred by the thought quite remote,
however) Of blood, threatened TO inundate or
deluge the clerical countenance with gore If
something or other should happen again
Then a day or two later the senator from
Roanoke caught sight of two or three innocu-
Gus and quiet cergymen in the senate chamber.
At once the disorder seized him, and with
h1eodshot eye and terror stricken eountenance.
he fed to the shelter Of the presidents au-
thority and begged that the obnoxious intru-
ixier%s might he driven out. do not know
whether Senator Hart is member Of our
heroic citizens soldiery not: but from the
noise he made on the above mentioned occa-
sion, I should Judge he must be major gen
eral at the very least.
/ And now. in Friday mornings paper I see
that my old friend, Colonel Leedy, Of Luray.
has been attacked by this terrible disorder.
I From the reports. ne to have caught
sight of a preacher in the house and tmme-
diateIy the seizure came. I particularly an
teresed in this heroic member of the State
military. and / should be very sorry II any
fatality should overtake him while he is in
R,ichfnond assisting in that most important
| function the protection Of the Consolidated
Vice Trust Of Virginia He halls from my own
section of the State. the Shenandoah Valley.
In the next place he is colonel was, of
Muhlenburg's old regiment, I'm which my
grandfather, twice removed. served major.
| Besides I have met the colonel various
occasions and found him a most agteeable
gentleman.
| I hope that when he gets back 70 quiet and
I scclusion Of the valley where prohibition pre-
/ walls. and where red lights and gambling dens
are unknown, he may recover his equanimity
and not be frightened into connptions every
/ time preacher appears In sight.
/ AS for the rest, those who may feel the
PremonIfory symptoms or the disease Clerg-
I ophobia, coming ON they had better take an
jinnocuation. else take to the tail timber.
For of one thing they may he sure: the preach
sr Of the Gospel of honesty of sohriety and
of purity is here. and is going ia stay here
Ind he heard from an questions of moral
1 legislation.
! ]. II, LIGHT
/ LynchburE Va. Marsh ~. 1914.