The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1875-08-06
A pERNIc1ous SHEET.
Another Rank aourdvine Distributed

a GNASArf~~tYTBT n 10 A@fs 81 81.
Another Rank Gourdvine Distributed
On last Friday morning the third
Issue Of the anonymous Jonah s
Gourd-Vine" was distributed pro-
miscuously over Marietta, rank with
indecent illusions, insulating accu-
sations and detestable threats. They
fell into the hands of the aged, the
young, The pure, the good, the vlr-
tuous and sought to inject virus
deadlvato morals and 1impairmg the
confidence of the unsuspecting, 1t
put new foodinto gossipers mouths ;
it gave sharp tooth SANDER some>
thing afresh TO whet lis appetite up
on and to society vultures a new
carcass to pick at. eftIt .H
As an Individual, We care nothing
for this pernicious sheet, but, as a
journalist, we owe it to society, and
deem it our duty to denOunce it's
vile contents and rebuke its urgen-
tlemanly authors, Where innocent,
unoffending, and respectable ladies
are personally mentioned, and their
names spread before a community
in an unenviable light, by base de-
probation and prejudicial slurs, and
that TOO by men who treacherouSly
court your friendship and desire to
be recognized in society as honora.
BILE, high,toned gentlemen, Of cul-
ture, refinement and gallantry, Ian
guage pales into utter insignlhcance
to express the contempt and loathng
we have for those who stoop to such
low and despicable means to crafty
an innate aud diabolical propensity
to torture and lacerate hearts and
then gloat and laugh over the pain
they have inflicted by their malic'
ious blows, at the same time licking
the hair, the blood, the brains, from
the besmcared cudgel that felled rep,
utation and blasted character. 4
Don't tell us it's moral correc
tive" when it seeks 10 damage with
out corresponding benefit, and
wantonly attacks and ISLANDERS with>
out cause or provocation. To make
man or woman feel that they are
degraded in the eyes of q communi>
ty, is to make them lose their self
respect, and when that is gone, they
are hey ond the pale of moral re-
dempticn. You as well tell us that
the assassin who lays in ambush and
Suddenly poupces upon some friend
ly passer,by and stabs his life out, is
a brave man, as to contend that he is
less a criminal who blast and assas>
sinates character and reputation by
secret and irresponsible means
You would shoot the man who would
under the cover of darkness enter
your bed chamber and despoil and
burglarize your house of money
Is your character and reputation less
precious and valuable 7 Character
is private property and sacred to
every man, and his wife's, mothers
and sisters good names should be
protected from dishOnor and re-
proach, even fit have to be done at
the point of the dagger or fash of the
pistol, and he is a bastard who
snrinks from the defence.
Such men should be slammed as
the unclean leper, whose disease
is contagion, whose presence is loaths
some, and whose contact is pollution
and death. Out upon such men
who have nothing else to do in this
busy world Of action; who had
rather spend money and time to
create heart aches than to alleviate
pain or feed the hungry who had
rather plot at night, than pray; who
had rather pick out faults and rile
frailties, than to esteem worth and
applaud excellence, and who cover
their own defects and pick at those
of others. sf.
Ii behooves every good citizen to
help ferret out the perpetrators and
bring them to justice, for all are at
their mercy.