The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-01-04

1t may require debate and force of thought
To lead you to amend the thing you ought,
Rut It's for you young man, the candidate,
Vote for yourself or for your ruin wait.
The amendment of the constitution
which l mean should be amended, is not
waiting the ratifca ton of two thirds of
the States to become law, but is one
waiting your action, young man it con-
Germs the community in which you live
in general and you in particular. Your
constitution, as well as character, has
been getting sadly out of joint during the
last few years, and it is just here, and for
your special benefit [ would see an amend
ment. What is the hight of your ambi-
tion and the depth of your principle p
What have you done worth doing in the
past, and what philanthropic purpose have
you in view for the future? How much
do you care for the home of your child
hood beyond convenient place to eat
and sleep? Are home joys any joys to
you, and do you not often stave off sis
ters society to meet your society in base
ments or bar-rooms, or in some other even
less disreputable place? You are all the
time thirsting for an excitement that poi
sons, and you do not stop to think of the
needed amendment. You are feeding on
| air and it is tainted air. The varnish
on your paper collar is of m ore vital i'm
portance to you than the solid contents
| of book on moral worth or christian
philosophy. The bible is no comparison
to satin cravat, and exquisitely black
ened boots far exceed Webster's large
quarto!
Young man, if you were tu rned inside
out you would exhibit sorry spectacle, for
you are an altitudinal superfciality with
out moral brace or support within you.
Why is this your condition? +? Because
you don't vote for your own amendment.
A few years ago a good trade and a
good book were popular among young men,
and they even worked hard to lay stone
wall or plaster ceiling, now you find
very few young masons and carpenters,
and if young man must work at all he
wants eight work" isn't healthy, and
can't stand lime or hemlock timber
They love delicate ladies and want to be
delicate too, and when they get paired off
they make a delicate show in the world.
I want to see an amendment before
that day of pairing off comes, fer [ am in
favor Of true manhood only this sort Of
manhood can yield true happiness. There
is game Of cheat constantly studied aud
practiced by both sexes, and when that
game results in tie they can do their
own sympathizing We will leave the
case on their own hands. They may then
realize what foretold Of the needed a.
mendment.
When see knots Of young men loun-
ging at the street corners to make ungen-
tlemanly remarks of every passer-by |
think of the amendment.
When | hear young man use profane
language all the week and see him at
church on Sunday to spend the hour
squirting under every fool-tastic shape on
a female head | see the need of amend
ment
When I find young man who does not
realize that he has mind capable of i'm
proyement but uses his conversational
powers in bragadocioand slang feel like
urging him to the amendment. In short
when see young man who does not
aspire to the elevated position which it is
mans duty and privilege to attain !
would pray him to vote Immediately tor
the amendment.
Young man, by your course, you are
insulting Heaven and yourself! How
easy you are insulted A little side-cut
from one of your comrades flares you up
into a monstrous desperate, ready tc
knock down, drag out, and perhaps kill
before you take one sober thought or cal
in cool reasoning judgment! Bragado
clio, not bravery drives yon into many
: such an encounter. You are not think
, ing being or you would not be in such
company and the occasion would not b'
offered. Country people have an impres
sion that country character is grade
3 higher than the city kind, but | have
I found noble examples of noble young
men in the city, whilst in the eountr!
towns and villages | have found such ex
amples as scarce as hummiDg birds whel
the thermometer is below zero. City bus