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THE COURIER
Considerable comment has boon
heard this week over the Tact that a
political meeting was held last Sun
day night in one of our leading
churches. Or. Lasby and some
members of the St. Paul M. E.
..imrfli will doubtless resent the
statement that a political meeting was held in the church, and it is
only Tair to say that the church authorities in granting the ue of
the edifice for the meeting of the rescue sieiety probablv did not
know that the gathering was destined to become the opening pohti
cal meeting or the spring campaign. If Mayor Weir had not been
present it is doubtful if the meeting would have had any political
significance. Hut His Honor, with all of the tremendous
audacity and reckless egotism that characterize this conspicuous
personage, was there, and he spoke. It followed as a matter or
course that from the minute he commenced to speak the affair be
came a jMilitical event. As a matter or Tact the tirst gun in the Weir
campaign for a third term was tired at this meeting.
Mayor Weir, with a sublime effrontery that must either bo tlio
offspring of ignorance or knavery, occupied the attention of the con
gregation by recounting some or his Herculean efforts and accom
plishments "in the cause of morality. He told what he had done in
the past and intimated what he woidd do in the future, his whole
speech being a cunning and more or less subtle appeal for the favor
and votes of those present in his impudent attempt to further fast
en himself to public oflice at the expense or the community.
The mayor in the course of his stump speech made one statement
that is so "glaringly uztrue that it should no be permitted to go un
reruted. His hearers were given to understand that he commenced
what is known as the "moral crusade" entirely or his accord, and he
claimed the credit Tor the origin and maintenance or the movement.
What are the Tacts? The events to which the mayor referred are of
so recent a date that many persons remember perfectly under just
what circumstances the mayor inaugurated the crusade. An effort
was made o give sacred Sunday evening concerts in this city and
the mayor, it will be remembered, was horror-stri.ken. With
houses "of ill fame running at full blast and unmolested, with gamb
ling establishments having their own way. with Sunday liquor sell
ing and notorious Sunday night dances in the down town blocks,
the mayor singled out these sacred concerts and waged a terrific
warrareon them. Tiik Couimki: at that time pointed out the may
or's inconsistency in a manner vigorous enough to call forth bitter
denunciation and George Woods introduceu a resolution in the city
council that placed the mayor in an embarrassing position.
Rev. Shephard and other ministers took up the theme, and finally
after much delay, the mayor, in order to appear consistent, inaugu
rated the crusade against vice, because, he said, "the people demand
e I it." He didn't pretend at the time that his action was the result
of Iub own aversion for wickedness, and strong desire Tor moral re
form. And his ciaim as made at the Methodist church last Sunday
evening is certainly not a flattering tribute to the intelligence of the
people or Lincoln.
The churches, by the way, cannot be too carerul in preserving
their dignity, and in discountenancing all efforts to crowd personal
or party politics, or the Weir or any other brand, into the pulpit.
Literature and the drama seem to be draining into the channel or
showy nothingness through the funnel of the epigram. The Jin tie
si'ece'books and the funic siccle plays are nothing more nor less
than an agglomeration or epigrammatic nonsense. There is a show-
ng of wickedness; but these things do not shock us because they
aro so manifestly rorced and unreal. O.scar Wilde's play's "Lady
Windermere's Fan" and "A Woman or No Importance," and the
books like A Yellow Aster" and "The Green Carnation" aro being
followed by f mass or glittering rubbish that is nauseating to a
healthy person. The cable informs us that Wild" has just brought
out a new play entitled, "An Ideal Husband." A newspaper corres
pondent sas: "At jiresent not much is known of its plot, but it is
believed that the author has still clung to his former plan of making
up Tor lack or incident by Binartness of dialogue. Just how London
will accept a continuation of the epigram remains to be seen."
Some of the choicest specimens of Wilde's so-culled wit -ire given
herewith: "I hate being educated." "So do I. It puts one quite
on a level with the lower classes, doesn't it?" "I adore political
parties; they are the only place left to us where people don't talk
politics." "The sum Harou Arnheiin gave me I have given away
twice over in public charities since then." "Dear me! "What a lot
of harm you must have done. iJobert." "I usually say what I think.'"
"A great mistake nowadays. It makes one so liable to bo misunder
stood." "Did you know her well?" "So little that I got engaged to
be married to her once." "She wore too much rouge last night ami
not quite enough clothes. That is always a sign or despair in
women." "She looks like a women with a past, doesn't she? Most
pretty women do. Hut there is a fashion in pasts just as there is a
fashion in frocks. Perhaps Mrs. Cheveley's past is inertly one rrom
Paris. They are excessively popular nowa lays." "Dear Gertrude you
belong to the new generation. In my time, or eoun-e. we were taught
not to understand anything. That was the old system. I assure
you that the amount or things I and my poor dear sister were taught
not to understand was quite extraordinary." "Morality is simply
the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike."
"Fashion is what one wears oneself. Wtiat is unfashionable is what
o her people wear." "Vulgarity is simply the conduct ot other peo
ple." "Romance should never begin with sentiment. It should
begin with science and end with a settlement." "Voiii"ii who have
common sense are so curiously plain, aren't they? They always
look like t,econd-hand dictionaries." "No woman, plain or pretty,
has any common sense at all. Common sense is the privilege of our
sex." "A woman's life revolves on curves or emotions." "A Btrong
man thinks only about his ruture. A weak man thinks about his
past." "Youth is not an affectation, youth is an art."
Walter Damrosch made his first appearance as an actress in New
York city, Friday January IS, appearing as "Trilby" at the grave
Century club, an institution which usually sits, like gray haired
Saturn, quiet as a stone in west Forty-third street and contains
most or the wise and dull men or the city. Each year the club loses
its solemn character and discovers how foolish it can be. It organ
izes a performance with a stage and all appurtenances. The mun
who tias the most pleasantly foolish idea is the honored man of the
Century. There is not the slightest doubt that Damrosch wears
this year's palm. When the curtain went up, a very tall person with
very big lones. dressed in the well known Trilby costume, tripped
forward. It was Damrosch. and he was applauded so loudly and so
long that many feared he would never be able to make his voice
heard. He did make it neard. and he sang. "Sweet Alice, Hen
Holt," in a voice so terrible and mi free from music that even Trilby,
in her hypnotised state, could not have touched it. When he had
finished the simple ballad, many aged men or the Century were in
tears brought in by laughter. It was a perfect and beautiful suc
cess. At the end of the song Damrosch. who appeared in his bare
feet. lifted the sole of one root towards the spectators and upon it
was written "No. 1." This seemed to the wise men or the Century
almost the Tunniest thing they had ever been or dreamed or. and
they laughed more than ever Hefore Damrosch ciuld begin his
encore, a club member, disguised as Dr. I'arkhurst, came out and
said: "Unless this show is made more indecent it must stop." Then
a man who most beautirully imitated Anthony Comstock, climbed
upon the stage and announced that he was Anthony Comstock, and
that he would not allow such a heartless parody upon a minister of
the gospel. The beauty or this disguise was apparent when a mem
ber or the club, an old judge, showed that he was completely taken
in by the gojd acting or the indignant Comstock. He rose in his
place in the audience, declared that it was a private club, could do
what it pleased and wanted no suggestions or rebukes from out
siders. The indignant judge was soothed and Mr. Damrosch sang
his encore.