Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1920-05-18
DEVELOPS MORE OPPOSITION

Apropos Of the publicity given the
circulation Of petitions asking the
school directors to restrain the teach
-ers from dancing during the next
school year, ms n matter Of public
policy. the undersigned would like to
give the reasons which actuated him
to join In n movement Of the kind
First may l say OF the school teachers
personally that like every one Of them
whom ] have met, and | have found
some Of them charming. believe. how
ever. the question is Of too great Inn
portance to permit personality to enter
into IL.
First, may say. this is an age Of
specialists. Not man in town, how
ever much he may think OF the black
smith, will 90 there To have his watcn
repaired or the nerve In his tooth
killed. Preachers are moral specialists,
and while Il Is possible for them to be
mistaken. as SPECIALISTS In all lines dis
agree at times IL Is practically an
unanimous deduction from years OF oh
servation by ministers Of all commun-
ions that the one who lndulg6s much
In the dance loses spirituality. The
dance differs from all other so-classed
amusemsnts In that II Is the great
passion inlay of the world. Like poison
oak. some people may handle without
harm, Others may handle without
harm part OF the time but nj other
times be- susceptible to its poison, still
others are always harmed by It's CON
tact, and yet others cannot pass close
by without coming under its influence.
what you do speaks so loudly l
cannot hear what you say" Is terse
statement Of the observation Of the
race. Should one OF the preachers
dance as some Of the teachers have
danced right along In Deming, his resig-
nation would be requestel-and prop
erly. Yet, the preachers influence with
possible hour or so week Is vastly
less over the child aud adOlescent-the
plastic stage VI life-that Is that Of the
teacher with her 20 TO 80 hours weekly.
Then what OF tho teacher? When the
school board undertakes to look for II
teacher of good moral character" does
the influence Of that teacher count for
naughtg "Why, mother. teacher does
IT," says the child, and mothers efforts
at discipline are weakened yet fur
Their though already the district Judge
not preacher. mind you-has
threatened To bring action against the
parents OF this community unless there
is less trouble with Deming boys In the
future, and he says contributing to
juvenile delinquency" may be either by
overt act or omission. OF course, he
was discussing neither the dance nor
the teacher, but these are community
influences we dare not overlook.
What are the facts? Many OF the
teachers dance. Has there ever been a
case where the dance was too objec.
tionable 10 the teacher? Has any
teacher ever left the dance hall because
OF the program We have never heard
OF such a case but very, very much Ia
the contrary. Yet the dances pulled
Off In our little city are the same ones
that have been legislated out OF COM
munity after community all through
our land from coast to coast Even San
Francisco, once holding the criminal
ItcoIu VI thc Noilui iouhu lhS chihi'
my" too tough. How about our teach.
ers? Bunny hug. turkey trot, wiggly
worm-tommy rot But what are we
to dOg School patron, has a teacher
with too little initiative 10 plan clean
entertainment. sufficient ability "a
teach your little onesg Think Il over
When they have shown that they have
not sufficient moral fibre 10 put out
the most Objectionable dance. person
ally feel we should not trust them Ia
dance at all-for the protection Of our
young. n. ]. REASONER.