Challenge Accepted

Ai i i'.-imiuiuii ui nuveuiuer zdiii contains the following allusion to au Item in last week's Couribk: The local editor of the Ann Arbor Coubibb saw Snelbaker's variety entertainment, and- probably because their extravagant bilis advertised an immodest show- was diaappointed. He goes ibr us in this style: The moral tone of TheYpsilantian U plainly shown by the marnier in which such entertainment as that Kiven by Snellbaker' variety tronpe is upheld, not only, but recommended. In a city where so many youth are attending school as there are in Ypsilanti such a paper has a vejy elevating (?)and ennobling (rjenectupon Ihe minds of boys and younir men Surely a journal that has such regard for virtue and morality as to speak of that company as "a very rnjoyable and good variety troupe ought to receive Üie patronage of the fond paren ts in that city. Now, we attended the entertainment, after the manager ussured us that the billboards belied its character, simply to see what it was. Nothing immoml was given, nor was anything done at which any one need blusli. Nothing suggesting evil was done, and the troupe appeared as gentlemanly and decent as any. While we wouldn't give a picaqune to attend variety shows, we challenge the writer of the above to point out oue vulgar or indecent act in the whole performance. As we were not present at the entertainment, we eau accept the chgllenge only so far as to teil why we cali Snelbakei's variety show an inmoral entertainment. We claim that it is humoral: First, because Snelbaker is proprletor of the Vine Street opera house of Cincinnati and this is considered anything but moral in its tendencies. This troupe is traveling through the country under his name and claim to come from that center of corruption of one of the most corrupt cities in America. Second, we claim that it is immoral in its tendencies, because the crowd that asseiubles to hear such an encrtaininent has no respect for the actresses, nor does the general character of the programme rendered tend to créate a feeling of respect for any one connected with the troupe. There is nothing ennobling or elevating in the exercises. Third, we hold that It is immoral because no gentleman can, or would, take a sister, a wife or a daughter to such a class of entertainments. No, Mr. Ypsilantian, not even after been assured by the manager that there was nothing immoral abont the entertainment, would you haye dared to go there in the company of a lady friend. Nor could you have sat there by the slde of a lady during the progresa of the entertainment without 'blushing,";for shame at its immoraüty. We muintaiu iurthermore that an entertainment that is unfit for a lady to attend, without au escort even, is an immoral entertainment, but a lady would have been nsulted there, not only, but would have been hooted from the room. The above are suflicient reasons for calling it an imnoral show and sufflcient reasons also for claiming that newspapers ouglit to discountenance anything of the kind.