The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-04-18

The versatile and brilliant CORE
spondent of the Kansas City Sun.
ana progressive life. This tendency
to worship the dead with such public
demonstration is positively wrong,
and brings to light one of the strang-
est paradoxes in all human affairs
that of some deceased person, even
below mediocre note, figuring as the
dead principal in a rich and eX-
pensive funeral where money, flow
ers, time and curiosity are lavished
upon one, who in life, perhaps never
| enjoyed or even merited these things.
No objections are advanced against
relatives and friends showing proper
concern regarding any deceased but
in our burial ceremonies we should
seek simplicity and divest the funeral
of this unnatural pomp and vain
glory, especially is this true of the
Sunday funeral when so many people
are compelled to either see these pro-
cessions or listen to the Thanatopsis-
like music.
Some prominent Mason has advised
a more simple ceremony in affairs OF
this kind and for this reason we urge
every lodge to refrain from the Sun
day funeral whenever possible n If
they must have turnouts, let them be
in the week and not on the Sabbath.
We understand that in Denver, Colo,
that these professions are forbidden
on Sunday by city regulations. At
tending church on a Sunday n is
invariably confronted with some fun
eral procession OF the prospect OF
one, this should be stopped and there
are several concrete reasons for do
ing so which we give below:
LIST. The average colored person
works hard six days in the week and
should not have his day of rest and
recreation disturbed by a p~retentious
funeral with an ill-tuned brass band
as its chief feature.
End. A funeral has a morbid effect
on the public mind, especially when
it is pompous and loud. And in indi
vidual cases there have been serious
complications resulting from debili'
tating music that reaches the ears OF
the sick who must hear these airs
with as you can imagine no hopeful
feeling.
3rd. The average bereaved family
can i'll afford these expensive funer
ais, ever though there is an endow
ment of several hundred dollars, anC
worthy friends who lavish the flowers
on a deceased friend in death, nut be
reminded of the irony of this action
since they usually fail to do these OF
fees toward the object when in life
4th. Any week day is the logical
time for a funeral. And simplicity is
the one rule to govern all. The rich
have ceased to practice the "shoWy'
procession and even request that nc
flowers be sent, and discourage curl
osity by holding simple services
from their residence. What the ricf
do from a good taste, the poor car
do from the same, with this added
virtue-economy.
We believe the above reasons ar
sufficient to warrant the %discontinu
ance of. the Sunday practice" nor ar
we lacking in those human sympa
thies for n another in hours whel
some dear friend has closed his o
her earthly career.
, Sorrow wins its way to the receI
tive heard and needs no brass ban
to advocate its cause. The real SUI
ferer or mourner does not seek tn
lime light of public curiosity or val
display but rather quiet and solitud
alone with God where vanity may b
excluded from sorrow and the suffe-
ing one realizes the quality of infinit
love to cure every human wound.
the deceased has demonstrated goo
in life, remember that the same cal
not die. And that truth, howeve
humble may be the n that lives
has the quality of eternity stampe
upon it and must live, Just as true
error, vanity, falsehood, and otht
like things must perish, and canont
' perpetuated by any methods of val
proceedings.