The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-15
FouL-MoUrHED ISLANDER.
Some Views Oppressed in Pretty Strong Lam
Language But None TOO Strong
indianapolis Herald.

AAuAillsEotlh 11tfdiu
There is scarcely a day
passes but some vile tongue coins some re
port calculated to do injustice and injury
to those whose lives are far above the
gross offenses with which they are fiippant
ly charged. 1t has got to be so that gen
tleman can scarcely appear on the streets
without becoming the prey of the unclean
haTpies, who hover over good name like
flock of carrion kites over dead body
On every street corner, in front of sa
looms and restaurant, and wherever
there is loafing place, may usually be
seen the class of men" whose infectious
and pestilential breath comes from their
| tainted threats, hot with atrocious COM
ments on the women who may be passing
by. 1t does not matter to these polluted
and petrified ulcers of the community
whether they have ever seen tie women
before or not. They hint, and grin, and
chuckle and drop their feculent words
with reckless disregard of every
thing that is decent or right in
1t frequently happens that young girls
become the victims of these abject mis-
creants-misc9ant who do not always
hail from the slime of the cesspool or pig
sty-but miscreants who claim to belong
to the upper classes of society, who wear
fine clothes and elegant jewelry. and who
if Judged by the rule of appearances,
would seem to be too highly refined to sip
their tea from anything but solid and high
ly ornamented silver spoons.
1t is a lamentable fact that respectable
women cannot walk a square ON the bust
ness streets after dark without being
liable to insult from some dissolute
BLACKBOARD, and should she be seen enter
ing building dur 1g the day, no matter
TO
business, she is danger of having her IN
blemished name become the prey of fly
blown tongues Heaven with all its man
sions will have no place for the tainted
souls of these Harpies, and this side of the
bottomless pit there ought not to be any
liberation Of them.
A man who befouls fair name is a
murderer of the most revolving type,
and if it be known that he has sought
to lead astray the unsuspecting and in
nocent he ought to be Stunned by all up
right persons as they would shun the
plague, the leprosy, or any other inim-
icable abomination
Many men and still greater number of
women, have had their characters assaulted
when there was not the shadow. of a cause
and not few lives have been blighted;
| and not a few hearts have been broken
by the internal gossip amp SANDER of evil
minded members of both sexes.
We know of several instances right here
in the city, where ladies and gentlemen of
unimpeachable character are discussed in
such way that they would be amazed
and outraged beyond expression if they
were conscious of it.
1t has been said that he or she who
| listens to scandal willingly is as bad as the
scandal monger, and we assuredly think
that the saying is true in the main. There
is too much idle talk, too much idle gossip,
too much accusation, imputation and back
biting There are certain habits which
should be reformed altogether. Some
thing in the way of good fagellation we
think would have a wholesome effect on
these vituperative detractors 1t would
eliminate much of the faint from the moral
atmosphere of the city, and what is true
of this place in this particular is also true
of every other city, village and town.
This faint, as we have already intimated,
does not always emanate from the dust
holes and slums. a good deal of it may
be traced to the would be aristoc-at
ic quarters of the city. 1t is here,
there and everywhere. and we put it fairly
to all concerned if, when they are mouth
ing about their neighbors, (who in most
cases are better than they are,) they do not
think they are engaged in trade which is
low, dirty and debasing? A viper, cock
atrice and adders are held III horror, and a
common war of determination is waged
against them. Why should the slanderer
the liar-the scandle- monger-the gossip
c.cape? Why do the vicious and culpsble
impute their vices to others? or imagine
because they would be guilty of immoral
or criminal conduct that therefore their
neighbors are doing wrong every time a
step is taken that they do not understand
suited?
| Let the guilty take the consequences of
| their guilt and IN heavens name stop this
/ wholesale and danlnable arraignment of the
innocent After all is said, let US reflect
that it is not part of our business to SUI
perintend the private affairs of our neigh