The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-05-07


II addition 70 that true responsible.
n Tor others-responsibility on the part
N parcnt. teacher. brother. friend. en-
,,iorer llow-worker-which NJ times
must rest upon every member OF hui
man society, there u also laid upon ev-
srx man duty not so much for others
- ~ others. We must stand In a rep
,s-entative and responsible position, not
a,ix ~ substitutes for. or leaders OF.
,hose with whom we have TO do, but
s1so a the medium By which their char
scters are presented TO those who know
,hem only through ms. Great and re-
sponsible as u our duty 70 our fellows
n the matter Of our influence upon
them md our necessary assumption OF
responsibility for their acts, our duty
Jo..s not end here. II also includes the
constant obligation TO make q right
nr,-sentstion Of their character and
their work. and TO extend their good
;nf,uences by our own Offices OF ju-
dicious friendship. instead OF harming
their reputation and limiting or destroy
ing their labors by our own folly or wick
edness.
An English essayist says, in writing
Of the worlds greatest composer; = IL
Z. perhaps. one noteworthy evidence Of
The inherent greatness and stability Of
B.ethoyen's genius. that even his ad-
mirers have not been able to write him
down. How great Is the injury done
~ eminent men. in every department Of
labor. bv ill-adyised and extravagant
euIogy. every student Of history and
biography well knows. Worthless
characters. to be sure. have for time
been .written up but such artificial
fame i less lasting than the real mis-
chief brought upon the reputation OF
true heroes. and artists. and authors. by
those who have oyerburdened them
with indiscrect praise The general
rectitude II the motives of extravagani
adulators does not save their work from
the mischievous results which surely
follow II in the minds Of Disguised
public Of readers. In effect, though
possibly not always in morals, the ulti'
mate results Of the most sincere praise
If il lacks the needed elements OF dis
erection, and right thinking. and SOUND
mental regimen, may not be different
from those Of malicious detraction
Indeed. they are sometimes worse, fo
a good character can rally from meal
hostility more readily than from sicken
But our duty. rs custodians OF tn
character Of Others, in our presentation
~ their dispositions and doings. is b,
no means chiefly confined 10 our treat
nent OF the great men Of the world
To present false or unwise picture Q
= man Of established reputation Is
slow and difficult process; TO presen
such a picture of one Of our equals
Of An ordinary social acquaintance. i
speedy and easily-accomplished act
Daily and hourly. by our words an
manner. we are called on 10 bear test
mony To others Of those known to n
AMI unknown. or partially known.
them. III that testimony Is in the i'm
Of silly and unmerited praise. or hast
and unjust criticism or one-sided an
ignorant information. we may by
greatly. and perhaps permanently. II
lure the reputation and the moral u.s.
fulness of those Of whom we spea
nmiss. The harm that we can do
the one direction Of laying false emPh
sis-perhaps unwittingly upon son
particular deed. or word. or phase
Character. NAV be a hurtful a. thou-
we had lied outright and set about
wrcak malicious vengeance upon tho
whom we profess to honor Could
always remember that when we spes
Of one person 70 another. we are,
the extent Of our words. the custodii
OF his character. and that we have
right 70 speak save in obedience
large laws Of truth and justice a
charity. the number Of wounds nay.
positive murders of character Won
be far smaller than il j. now.-S-
Tysne<