Show BAL ASQUE MASQUE 31 WE observe this morning mornin in the columns of our esteemed C temporary contemporary on the herald a som somewhat glowing account of a masked ball which was conducted last list night in the school house erected by the late president brigham young yo ung g A mistake is made in connection with the relation to the effect that the structure had been 4 the scene of many a similar festivity we understand 4 that no similar festivity was ey eyer eyen er dnesse wn esse that building that of last night being the tha arst if the venerated original owner of the structure waie were now living we very much doubt if a festival of that icat nature would have occurred in it at all there being good reasons for knowing that tha t such entert entertainments ailments Mil oll ments among the latter hattei day saints wera pat in 1 unison brison a with his sils views of xira what at IN would be N digil to them our views and those by him are strictly in unison they are also shared by the existing leaders of the church who wh more than all others ot ers have the were of af the community at at heart the great buk bulk of the latter day saints look ht at ehg we 6 un su c et I 1 ll 11 precisely T T the same ilg light while 11 it ma may be e claimed that people have a r right t to do as they please in such matters mattens mat t e rs and though the position be corre correct 9 yet et it may be well to consider whether a widely diff diffused used sentiment of the community and the general weal should not have haxe some influential weight the ladles and gentlemen Fent lemen who engaged gad in the festivity in question are arc of the most unquestionable respectability and the precedent set by them and made so conspicuously public is none the less damaging on that account as their example is for that reason all the more liable to have an extended f following ollo vang we have no idea but that the affair was conducted according to the principles of the strictest decorum the the motives and sentiments of the participants were doubtless of the purest kind intrinsically there was nothing wrong wron in the festival but consequentially this teis may not be ilie lile the case ni by force of the example set them similar entertainments that may not be of so innocent a character we would look upon the prevalence of masked balls in the community as a favorite favora te popular and common amusement as littfe ittle lttie less than a calamity for while they may be intrinsically pure when participated in by people of uarl uprightness atness and morality they are susceptible cep tible perhaps more thauan than any other class of amusements of being made the vehicles of the grossest licentiousness and corruption unscrupulous men can under cover of the mask make secret advances to ladies with a view to ascertaining whether they would be encouraged that they would not dare to off omner offer er with uncovered faces they have been made the vehicle of assignations sig nations and abominations that have crept into society at large so much has this been the case in this country without taking into account the cor eruptions of the effete nations of europe that tha t a number of the states of the union forbid masked balls by law in such cases those who would make no evil use of such entertainments are legally prohibited from engaging in them in order to suppress those who would make them the vehicles of evil thus the public weal is sub served the upright and pure foregoing an amusement lon ion for the general good when people refrain without the existence of legal prohibition it is greatly to their credit so notorious is the susceptibility of these entertainments for being turned to wrong purposes that they are on that account introduced into licentious works of fiction and made the scenes of the most fearful plots a against ainest virtue yve we are emphatically of the opinion that masked balls should be discouraged in the community as being dangerous to good morals morais there is no good reason why in our amusements we should cover the human face divine tile the most attractive part of all sociable intercourse is the opportunity afforded people of looking upon each others countenances coun tenal ices aces and mingling together in friendly whole communion |