Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-01-02
The Popular Capacitv for scan.d.,

mlSuemeanorS OF good men. If a mar
stand high ~ moral force in the com
munity; if he stand as the rebuker anc q
denouncer of social and political sin; i
he be looked up to by any considerable
number Of people as an example of vfr
tue; if the whole trend and power of hi,
life be in a high and pure direction; il
MS personality and Influence render
any allegation against his character
most improbable, then most readily
does any such allegation find eager be.
iIeVers. 1t matters not from Wha,
source the SANDER may come. Multi.
tudes will be influenced by. report
against a good mans character from
one who would not be believed under
oath in any matter involving the pecu.
mary interest of fifty cents. The Sian.
'derer may be nOtoriOusly base-may be
a panderer to the worst passions and the
lowest viceS-may be STAINLESS sinner
against social yirtue--may be q thief. a
notorious liar, a drunkard, a Gbertine.
or harlotAall this matters nothing
The engine that throws the mud is not
regarded. The white object at whici,
the foul discharges are, aimed IN only
seen and the delight of the by-standers
and IOOkers-On is measured by the
success OF the stain sought to be inflicted,
- AS between the iWor idlingy and 1.-THE
man who processes to be guided and
controlled by Christian motives, all
this is natural enough. The nan bound
up in his selfish and sensual delights.
who sees Christian fall, Yef hears that
ne mas fallen, is is;naturally comforted in
the belief that, after all, men are alike
Ithat no one OF them, however much
he may profess, is better than another.
1t is quite essential to his eonafert that
he cherish and fGrtify himself in this
QnyIetlonc iS9, when any great scan
Gal arises IN quarters Where he has
found himself and his course of life con-
deinned, he listens with, ready ears,
and is unmistakabiy glad. We say
this is natural, however base and ma
liignantit may be; but when people re-
puted goodH+nay, peopisu protesting to
be ChriSrian--Shrug their yirtuous
shoulders and shake their feeble heads.
whiieia foul scandal tduches vitality one
OF their number; and menaces the .ex-,
of an. influence, higher
or hunt bier. by which the world is
made better, We hang our heads with
silames Or raise them with Indignation,
III such a thing as this is natural, ii
proves just one thing viz. that these
men are hypOcfites.. There is no man,
Christian or Pagan, who can rejoice IN
the falntest degree over the rep,ited fall
OF any other man from feetftude. with
out being at heart o searnp. All, this
readiness to believe evil ofOthers. esne-
cially of those who have been ireputed
10 be eninently good, is an evidence of
prcliyity to vice that. finds
comfort in eminent eompahionship. =
y There is NO better test OF purity and
true g9Qdness than reluctance to think
evil of ones neighbor, and absolute in
to believe an evil report about
good men except upon the most trust-
worthy testimony. Alas, that this
aige and lovely charity is sorare! But
i is only with those who possess this
charity that men accused of sins against
'oclety have an, equal chance with those
under the forms of law. of
,rime. Every man brought to trial for
'rime is presumed to be Innocent until
le is proved tosbe guilty; but, witt the |
yorld at large, every man. slandered i5 |
Presumed to be guilty until he proves
himself to be innocent, and even then
t takes the liberty of doubling the tes- |
imony. q Every man who Ireioices in a !
candal thereby adyerGises the fact of
us own trustWorthiness;l and every I
nan who is panied by it, and refuses to |
'e Impressed, by it, unconsciously re-
'eals his 0Wn. purity He cannot be-
leve a bad thing done by goae, whom he
egards as good man, simply because +
le knows he would not ddit himself
lie gives credit TO others for tfieiyirfiiet
hat is consciously in his own pt,sseslIf /
ion. while the base men around him
Fnether CnristlaH In name ornot, with
old that credit because they cannot
eneve IN the existence Of a virtue Of
Ifiich they are unconsciOasly empty. +
Y hen the Master uttered the words, +
Let him that is without sin among 7
ou hrst cast astone at her, he knew
nat none but conscious sndelinauents +
'onld have the disposition to do SO;
az whens under this iEebuke, every
eree aceuser retired rOyerwhelmed He.
ie SIN less,, wrote the Woman,se crime 4,
the sand for the heavenly rains to,
lace, If He could dothisin a case OIL
ait not disputed, il. certainly becomes !
IS hti0Wers to stand together around
1ery one Of their numbers whom mall {
e e pr reYe9se assails with, ISLANDERS, to
alcn 9s9s4Ei AIS orlarwho or her whole Life gives the
Inatwofld full OfiiniidetTeas and fem II
encies to evil, whefs,eyery good force / J
needed, and needs, to- be, jealously.I
lerIshed and guarded, there is. no e
'oicer Treasure and no. more besnreficent q
'wer than sound character. This Is l4
# only the highest result of ALI the :
'st i2ices pi of our civilization but it is 4 I
I'd the State!h Society cannot afford b
shavait wasted or destroyed; !; and It's :
stlnGt OF MISREPRESENTATION demands =
at It shall not bels suffered, There is
'thing SO sensitive and nothing so
cred as character; and every tender F
arity, and loyal Sfriendship, aud a
lyalroua affection, and manly isea til c
ent and Impulse, ought to intreneh B
emsselyes ,s around every true character v
the community so thoroughly that a b
cath fcafunny shall be as harmless r.
an idle wind. Ifthey cannot do this,
en- no man Is safe V ilo refuses to make p
ms With the devil, and he Is at lib G
" to pick his victims where he Will. "
q. Holland; Scrtone,'s for .7anu- p
y. '''N' % -.'' {;
It is stated that Edwin Forest was a q
Gus rider in his early youth; only for o
United period, however. A char
teristic, anecd0te is related of him, "
,ich occurred during. his dramatic ci
teer. he was once .acting in 4 West C
n city, and was greatly annoyed hy a
9 of minor actors, who, night after e.
yht repeated the few lines he had to rC
In very duh, listless manner. At Fl
c, during a rehearsal, Forrest got in a I, g
yering rage, and stopped the actor, | il
lering him to repeat the lines as he $,
'uldL Lenunciating them with the full Il
ength of his majestic voice. The II
or, in sheer despair, retorted: at I p,
d 800 per night, t,instead of SO per week, G.