Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-03-19
THE POPULAR CAPACITY FOR
SCANDAL.

initiating eXnlOlC0nS winch uuindD
nature ever makes Of itself, is in its
greedy creduIity touching all reports
of the misdeme2nOrs of good men. If
a man stands high as a moral force in
the community; if be stands as the
rebuker and denouncer of social and
political sin /; If he be looked up TO Uy
any considerable number of people as
an example of virtue If the whole
eind aud power of his life be in q
h Rh and pure direction If his per-
sonality and influence render any al
legation against his character most
improbable then most readily does
any such allegation find eager believ-
ers. 1t matters not from what source
the slander may come. Multitudes
will be Influenced by report against
a good mans character from one who
would not be believed under Osth in
any other matter involving the pecu-
mary interest of fifty cents. The SIAN
deler may be notoriOusly base-may
be a panGerer TO the worst passions
and the, lowest vices-may be shame
less sinner against social virtue-may
be a thief, 3 notorious liar, q drunk
ard. a libertine, or a harlOt-aH this
matters nothing. The engine that
throws the mud is not regarded. The
white object at which the foul dis
charges are aimed are only seen T; and
the delight of the bystanders and look
ers-on Is measured by the success OF
the stain sought to be inflicted.
As between the wording and the
man who profe sses to be guided and
controlled by Christian motives, all
this is natural enough. The man
bound up in his selfish delights, who
sees q Christian fall, or hears the re-
port that he has fallen, Is naturally
comforted in the belief that men are
ali alike-that no one Of them, how
ever much he may profess, Is better
than another. It Is quite essential to
his comfort that he cherish and forti-
fy himself in this conviction. So,
when any great scandal arises IN guar,
tiers where he has found himself and
his course condemned, he listens with
ready ears, and is Enthusiastically glad.
We say this is natural, however base
or malignant it may be; but when
men reputed good-nay, people, pro-
Tossing 10 be Christians-shrug their
virtuous shoulders and shake their
feeble heads, while low, foul scandal
touches vitality the character Of one OF
their own number, and menaees the
extin9uishment of an influence, high
er or humber, by which the world Is
better. we hang our heads with shame.
or raise them with indignation. II
such a thing is natural, IL proves just
one thing, viz. that those men are
hypocrites. There is no man, Chris
tian or Pagan, who can rejoice in the
faIutest degree ever the repllted fall of
anv other man from rectitude, with
out being at heart a scamp. All this
readiness to believe evil of others. es-
pecially of those who have been re-
puted to be eminently good, Is an evil
fience of conscious weakness under
temptation, or of conscious proclivity
to vice that finds comfort in eminent
cOmpanionship.
There is no better test of purity and
true goodness than reluctance to be-
lieye evil of ones neighbor, and abso-
lute incapacity to believe an evil re-
port about good men except upon the
most Trustworthy testimony. Alas,
that this large aud lovely character Is
so rareI But l. is only with those who
possess this charity that men accused
Of sin against society have an equal
chance with those aceHsed under the
forms of law, of crime. Every man
| brought to trial for crime is presumed
to be innocent until he is proven
guilty: but, with the world at large
every man slandered Is presumed to
be guilty until he proves himself to be
| innocent. and even then il takes the
| liberty of doubling ths testimony
Every man who rejoiees ID seahdai'
thereby adYertises the fact OF bis Owl
untrustWorthinsss and every man
who is panied by 1t, and refuses to bt
impressed by it, unconseiously reveals
his own purity. He cannot believe 6
had thing done by one whom be re
oards rs 3 good man, simply because
he Knows he would not do It himself
He gives credit to the others for ll,
| viTt1e that is consciously 10 his pos
ssssion while the base men arounC
him whether Christian IN name o.
not. withhold that credit because they
cannot believe in the eEistenpe OF
virtue of which. they are consciously
empty. When the Master uttered To-
words. Let him that Is without siI
among you first cast stone At her,
He knew that none but conscious de
. lipauents would have the disposition
, 10 do SO and when under this rebuke
every fierce accuser retired over
vheImed, He, the siniess, wrote th
womanis crime in the sand for heav,
rains to efface. If He could do thi
, IL 2 case of guilt not disputed, IL Ger
, taiIlfV bscopes his followers to stan
together and around every 9pe ofthei
nauaber whom malice pr FeVeHga 81
( ss.is with ISLANDERS 70 which his OF be
t. whole life gives the lie,
: In a world full Of Influences Rn
! tendencies to evil, where every goo
{ facs is nesdsd, and Heeds 70 Be jea
. ously cherished and guarded, thFfe
! no ehoicer treasure and no more b'
: pehcsut p0werthan asoaDd characte
r This Is clearly the highest result Of q
! the best forces in society and In. th
3 State. Society cannot afford TO hay
I Il yasted or destroyed and Its il
Z stinet Of self pEeseryatipn aepnanC
q that it shall not be suffered There
a nothing so sensitive aud nothing
|. sacred as character; and every tsndl
eharity, and loyal friendship, an