The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1876-09-08
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so sald the great painter Of human
thoughts and feelings three centuries ago:
SO echo many blighted hearts, and scores
of desolate hearths send the echo back
Give the ca lumniator thread of news
no matter how light, fragile, or nnsubstan
tial-and BY skilful, plant manipulation,
the thread, BY cunning legerdemain, is
soon transformed into vast cable ofsIan-
der. In this age of reformation, our yiaIs
Of wrath and Indignation are too often
poured out upon dead issues. We load
our guns and fire at tombstones, and real,
living, vital matters are held in allegiance
until a more convenient season. The sac
red pulpit is too much devoted to discus
sions of abstruse doctrine, while the evils
Of the human heart are but too sci on
touched. The ministers, who should stand
forth and illuminate their condemnations
Of these inward passions Of envy, jealousy,
hate, ealumny, ETC., are often too much en-
crossed by the thought of uttering some
thing strongly polemiesl or sweet and Su-
gary.
If there is one thing above another truly
Satanic, it is calumny. A iend, far worse
than he who steals your purse, is one who
strives to rob you Of reputation. The hom-
icide, who in 3 fit Of anger, jealousy Or
rage hurls his victim to a premature grave,
is far more excusable than the cool, sys-
tematic, perseYering assailant Of character
and fair fame. And who are the victims
Of these calumnious snakes? Not the lib
ertine, for no charge against him would be
accounted caIumny; not the rogue, swim
der, or any disreputable parsonage. No!
Calumny has a higher mark The pure
shaft Of innocence rearing its virtuous head
heayenward is the thing upon which calum-
ny strives to throw the garbage Of SANDER
It is the ynung man of promise, of talent
or popularity, who presents the mark for
these shafts The young lady Of attrac
ton, Of beauty, stands forth a fair target
for calumny. Not the dissolute, but the
pure, are the ones at whom the caIumniat-
or-generally with William Tell precision
lets fly the arrow of SANDER and many
persecuted wife, pure daughter upright
son, proud parent, are BY SANDERS agency
sent through life, or rather hurried though
this existence, with "hearts bowed down
by weight ofwoe."
Were each individual Of the forty odd
millions of our people the possessor Of
Stentor's voice ten times magnifed, and #
at some set hour or minute all would e2-
ercise their vocal powers in a condemna-
tory shout Of calumny, the effect would be
none too great to give expression to what
should be intense abhorrence of this nip
ping, frosty evil. This vocal power we do
not possess, nor as nation can VIC cry
down this evil; but as indiYiduals-~e can
and should draw the bow of condemnation
and shoot calumny as it flies.
When people persecute you because you
are more generous than they, they always
say it is because you are fool who don't
know the value Of money When they
would punish you for being truthful and
honest above their standard, they say you
are oyerturning the foundations of busi-
ness and are saying things that make mis-
chief. When you demand that Christians
should do all things in manner not con
formed to the selfish spirit of this world
that is, without hypocrisy-they say you
are demagogue and that you would up
turn and overthrow society. Your amia-
bility they term shalloWness; your spirit,
temper; your selt-sacriice is to them a
lack Of appreciation for the good things of
life Or a pride in suffering if you contend
for the right they say you delight in con
troversy; if you keep silent they will stig-
matize you as a stupid, sullen fellow, All
those unfortunates who have fallen under
the lash ofan unruly tongue desire to make
scandal q punishable offense, and declare
that in this particular at least, the world
has degenerated, as in old times the scan
dal monger paid dearly for sins committed.
A galifornia-street broker whom we will
call Grit, sauntering Ieisurely along, taking
. abreathiag spell after an exciting 'Wrastle' Y
with sundry stocks, encountered an ae-
quaintanee (also broker, whose Woe-be-
gone countenance betokened something
a,niss with the individual. A natural SYM
pathy induced him to ask his friend what
was the matter. "Rheumaties, Grit, my
dear boy, rheamaties. "Ah, indeed, res
ponded Grit hsppy il 4 new iaca which
at that moment struck him; Snow, | tell
you what will cure them. You go to the
bath house, aud take q good, strong'steam
bath, and, my word for i, You wont feel
any more rheumatism after that "That's
all very fine, and sounds pretty enough,
responded his friend, but, you see, that's
just what's the matter: I took one Of those
patent steam baths and the result IS + have
had the rheumatism ever sinee.n a0hl
Ali replied Grit, absently, u see you