Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1891 — DUDES AND POETS WERE ILLEGAL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DUDES AND POETS WERE ILLEGAL.

Our Forefather* Would Have Whipped' Modern Specimen*. If the laws of 150 years ago were inexistence at the present time, the nineteenth century would never have produced what has proven to be two of its most characteristic and interesting institutions. Having said this, no one will deny that reference is made to the American dude and modern poet. For instance, men who wore long hair in Puritan New England were heavily fined and whipped in public f>r the offense. This would take away the only distinguishing trait of the modern poet, and without it, it is extremely doubtful whether he would 5 write at all. It is on record, too, that in the latter part of the seventeenth century a young Bostonian was brought into court and fined for possessing an excess of wearing apparel “in boo!s r w’aistcoats and gold and silver laces.” If that law were to go suddenly into effect to-dav it would be the ruin of

thousands of young men whose incomes, while large enough to purchase the “excess,” would never be sufficient tc pay the fines that justice would demand. On the other hand, the law would be of inestimable value to thousands of other young men, whose income has never been large enough tc permit them to break this old commandment. Our forefathers made the times in which they lived more than ordinarily picturesque by the novelties of their laws and the curious character of the punishments inflicted upon those who disobeyed official mandates. They believed in punishment. They punished heavily for what would now be considered mild offenses. Once in a while the. people of the present generation are entertained by the publication of an attempt to enforce some old blue law which has never been stricken from the statute books. But the most absurd of these are nothing in comparison with some others that originated about the same time, but' which, fortunately for a vast number,, have long been extinct. Dudes and poets were not the only objectionable people, whom the blue law's prohibited. Cranks, and this more numerous class popularly known at “odd geniuses,” could not have existed in those days. Among the

ancient court papers of an old colonial town it is recorded that Thomas Makepeace, because of his odd ways and novel disposition, was taken before a magistrate, and, after a hearing; informed that- “we are weary of him. unless he reforms.” New York was greatly amused by the story of a Hoboken woman who, less than three years ago. was convicted and severely punished under ar old New Jersey law for the heinous crime of being a common scold. A common scold, however, is a very objectionable sort of person, even to the liberal-minded American of the pres ent generation, so that the fate of the unfortunate woman did hot arouse the indignation at the interference with personal liberty that some cases less, just would arouse. There is a law still on the statute books of Massachusetts which prohibit®, driving for pleasure on Sunday. Four or five years ago the erratic mfayor of e small city not far from Boston attempted to put this law into force. Several prominent citizens were arrested for the crime of being found in a carriage in the public street without beiog able to give the arresting oflficei satisfactory proof of the necessitv ofc being there. But this crusade did not. last long. Popular opinion rose up in, rebellion against the puritanical mayor, and be was relegated from office at the expiration of his term. Curiously, erough, however, no attempt has beer made to have the law repealed. A stranger once walked into a. Massachusetts court and spent same, time watching the proceedings. By-and-by, a man was brought up for contempt of court and fined, where upon the stranger rose, and said “How mr-ch was the fine?” “Five dollars.” replied the clerk. “Well,” said the stranger, . laying down, the money, “if that’s all, I’d like to.jinein. I’ve hal a few hours’ experience oi this court, and no one can feel a gjeater contempt for it than.Ldo* and; I am willing to pay for it.”

IN THE STOCKS.

GAG FOR A SCOLD.