Something to Worry About

From the Grand Forks Daily Herald, March 1, 1915. By J. W. Foley.

They said it hurt morals, and maybe it harmed
Good morals, but folks were not greatly alarmed;
The few were concerned, but the many were prone
To leave the whole matter severely alone.

They said it hurt culture, and maybe it had
A bearing on culture most certainly bad,
But left to itself it would work itself out.
There wasn’t a thing to be worried about.

They said it hurt learning, and maybe it did,
But learning’s a thing that expects to be hid.
And while there was much, they agreed, to be learned,
There wasn’t good cause to be gravely concerned.

They said it hurt manhood, and maybe it meant
Some injury to it, as far as it went;
But this was no reason for clamor or fuss
As long as it didn’t directly hurt us.

But when it hurt Business, the folks over town
Unitedly said that it must be put down
Whatever it was, and they stamped the thing out—
For then it was something to worry about!