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It is about as hard for a man to run away from his fellows as it is for him to run away from himself. Conventions stick to him as closely as does his conscience. Conventions, indeed, are the social conscience. Men in bulk can no more escape the conventions than man by himself can dodge his sense of right and wrong. The convention al may oppress every man at some period of his life or other— and probably does but that is a poor reason for trying to flee from it. The only way to escape convention is to be a hermit. To be a free spirit, to do as we wish rather than as the welfare of others demands, this is a common longing. It is a longing which Upton Sinclair, well-known writer, has felt. It is a long ing which others who with the Sinclairs made up the Arden col ony, have felt. At the bottom, the colony was practically a pro test against the world’s conventions, against permitting the world to have its way with the individual. But alas! Old Madam Conventionality, if latest news reports are to be believed, thrust her scolding head into the midst of the would be carefree colonists. It has been a sad experience for Sinclair. First his ideals of the home received a jolt, and a Kansas poet made a triangle of his marriage. Then Upton married again. His first matrimonial experience ought to have taught him that there is some virtue in conventionality after all. But he is a rebellious spirit. He is a strong spirit. He is daring. He wants to take his own fate in his own hands, and not let it rest as the foot ball for others. Wherefore, what did he do? Why, he announced his wish to play baseball on Sunday. Now, if he had been a resident of some conventional city, or staid Canton for example, he might have been let alone in his fell purpose. But in unconventional Arden colony—never. The colonists sought to repress Upton. “We do not wish you to play baseball on Sunday,” they told him. Under such circumstances what could a blithe, brave spirit do? Forbidden, even in the very county seat of individuality, to play baseball on Sunday Sinclair took the only way out. He took the first way out. He moved out. He went with his sec ond wife to Bermuda. Ah, many have been the sacrifices laid on the altar of Ameri cas national game! Grandmothers without number have been sacrificed, have bled and died that their descendants might obtain the respite from work necessary to a visit to the ball park. But, be it asked in all sincerity, has baseball ever received a greater tribute than that paid to it by Upton Sinclair, who in order to play it on the seventh day of the week forsook Utopian Arden for the Bermudas? Let it be a lesson to every man. The most unconventional people are often the most conventional. They may be unconven tional on some points, but they are all the more determinedly conventional on others. The only way to dodge conventions is to be a hermit. Of course, it is to Sinclair's credit that he has been dauntless enough to do this. How sad!
Newspaper Details
Canton Daily News
Canton, Ohio, US
Thu, Mar 26, 1914
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Thomas R.
NY, USA 27 Jun 2026
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