The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-02-10
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
PerilouS Times.

In my last spoke of Perilous Times
Morally. In this let me call attention
to the social aspect of this question
1t will scarcely be called in question
that there is an immense amount of
social unrest. 1t is everywhere appar-
ent. There is a mad rush for new
pleasures. We are reminded of the
experience of an old Monarch. who hav-
ing gone the round of all the known
pleasures, only to be dlsgusted with the
whole thing, offered fabulous sum to
the man who would invent a new pleas
-ure.
The masses want new excitement.
Anything to crafty a morbid desire and
taste, there is frenZied rush for blood
curdling spectacles; an Unsuitable greed
for money. Men, women and children
go half wild over races, one of the
favorites being auto races. But these
have degenerated into a means of salts
flying thirst for blood on the part of
spectators and greed for money on the
part of promoters. Every appeal pos
sible is made to the lowest element in
mans nature. What can Americans
say of Spanish or Mexican bull fights
or gladiatorial contests of old Rome,
when an auto race is advertised as
follows:
Shaking Dice With Death-20 Dare
Devil drivers in thrilling speed duels.
The field VS.. death. Which will win"
Here is another -60-40 car No. 4 ran
into car No. 7. Two men hurt. Come
out to see the spill.
1t Is hypocrisy and a mlsnomer to call
the CHASTITY results of such races acct
dent,. They are features" draw
ing cards" The killed and wounded
arc victims of human sacrifice to the
twin gods of blood lust and money-lust.
This is the opinion of those who can
distinguish between what Is robust and
murderous in healthful and invigorating
sport.
Barney Oldfeld, in Popular Me-
chanics" says, 81 was never popular
until l went through the fence at st.
Louis and killed two spectators. Pro-
meters fell over themselves to sign me
up. 1t is the call of the old Roman
Arena; of the Spanish Bull ring. 1t is
no more sport than hanging IS sport.
The game is not worth the candle. 1t
took ten years to prove this. 1t has
been a decade replete with black head
lines and black mourning. The inter
est of the public was immense, but so
was the interest in cock-fghting, in
prize fights, in gladiatorial contests.
So it was in the old Mexican bull fights,
where in the name of sport they killed
cattle instead of human beings, though
now and then they managed to sacrifice
a man or two to add interest to the
show. While the body of Basic still Law
beside his machine, women tried to cut
off pieces of his clothing as a souvenir.
On the day after his death 10000 per-
sons fought for front seats at the track.
Today daily papers fairly drive their
readers into the chamber of horrors by
their ingenuity in phrasing of headlines
and the prominence and space given to
reports of bloody murders, of Iynching,
of shocking incidents and hideous vio-
latlons of the customs of civilized
society. Sensational papers and many
respectable journals devote more space
to crime than to virtue, courage and
honor; while they report at length the
views of criminals and sometimes of
harlots. They thereby invest law
breakers with the Importance of great
public figures.
The center of the stage, is awarded
with enthusiasm to the 'affinities, who
figure as journalistic heroes andheroines.
Unhappy affinities have fallen into this
trap of the devil but their end is monot-
onously miserable. though they are ac-
corded the front of the stage to give
their views of the marriage relation, as
if they were leaders in the war for the
emancipation of hum anity. But they
~ blind guides that have fallen into