Connecticut western news., 1880-05-05
Town Scandal.

MIR. EDITOR This is not pleasant theme to write about, neither is it pleasant to think there is occasion to write about it, but when an evil of this nature gets foothold in any place, it is quite time for honest thinking peo- pie to set their faces against it like flint, and put their seal of condemnation upon it, as iS will spread and rankle, producing noxious weeds that will poison the very air we breathe. There are persons who are very careless or very vicious, or both, who will circulate the mean est of stories, what they have heard, or what they suspect, about people refecting upon their moral conduct, against whom they would not dare for an instant to bring direct charge. There are those whose position and profession ought to keep them above such things, who seem ready to take up the dirtiest kind of scandal about people against whom they have no proof, not only rolling it as sweet morsel under their tongues, but who are very zealous in passing it around, getting all their neigh bors and friends they dare approach, to help | them keep their precious secret. They may | look wise and solemn, say they are sorry, and try to make you believe they are discharging an unpleasant duty. but please put it down, , readers as a fact, that no person will toy thus | with the reputation of another, unless there is malice, envy, revenge, or some other form of deviltry in their hearts. We have no lan- guage adequate to express our contempt for such people; they are blighting, whitening curse and nuisance in any community, whom, if not reformed. decent people ought to shun | as they would the most venomous reptile.
 Can any person who has particle of Chris tian charity in his heart listen patiently to sto- ries about his neighbors, which if true, would destroy their character, reputation and influ- ence, without proof of their truthfulness Such moral cowardice would be almost un- pardonable. No true man, woman or child can do that and the person who will do it and repeat the scandal to others, is capable of do- ing a very mean thing, and unworthy to asso- ciate with respectable people. Rob 8 man ol woman of their money, destroy their property, | bruise and maim their bodies, if you will even then you haven't done so vile and mean a thing as you will if you unjustly attack their character. The readiness of some people lo believe the stories started by evil minded per s ons surprises n grieves us. We cannot un. 1 derstand how any one who has the feeling o1 human brotherhood in their heart can be sc cruel asito believe without proof, that about their fellow creatures, which if true, they know would bring ruin to the guilty. The best interests of society, in promoting good morals in developing that which is high, noble, pure manly and womanly in the young, our owr self respect and self protection, demands that we should take bold stand upon this subject and point the fingers of scorn and shame to- ward the person who would thus trifie with the most sacred things of life.
 We have known the air to be full of scanda about persons, when those persons, we have good reason to believe, were entirely innocent and for long time had no knowledge of the fact that stories prejudical to their character, were in circulation, and they wondered why il was that people treated them so coldly. Le any one who has keen sense of justice, honol and self respect, as ' themselves the question ''How would like to be put in that position If we would honestly do that, we should no only be slow to believe that which is prejudi cial to others, but we should wait for proof be
 fore we pass an opinion, and even the law O Christian charity would be to follow the ex ample of the Master. who instead of making public example of the guilty one, silenced hel self rigt teous accusers, and said to the guilty one, ''Go and sin no more."
 | A SCANDAL HATER.