The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-06-14
One Safe Side.

We find ourselves quite often puzzled
the practical questions of daily life. We
have strong inclination to some course
of procedure concerning the wisdom or
propriety or lawfulness ofwhich we can
not help entertaining Il doubt. Will it
do for us to 90 forward, or will it (vio-
late some standard of duty by which
we ought to be governed? May we
crafty our desire, or will such self-in-
diligence strain and weaken our ale
glance to the purest morality? May wa
safely take some step quite agreeable
to us, or will the act exert an unwhole-
some influence upon those whose esti-
mate of good and evil is affected by our
example? We wish we could see clear1
ly the merits of the case, and we can
not assume the affirmative in the prob
lem of privilege without some slight
,misgiving as to the vindication of our
course. We do not mean to do wrong,
and we hope we have not gone astray.
for nothing would induce us to trampla
upon any positive law OF rectitude.
Still there is little cloud brooding the
whole transaction, within which there
Inlay lul n dDONC Jul Htdl u SHduUW Vi
condemnation. How can we be guided
i'm such questions of personal conduct
so as to see the right clearly, through
the haze, and commit no trespass?
Well, would suggest that there is,
in most of these puzzles, one indisputa-
bly, safe side. 1t may not be quite right
to crafty our inclination in given in.
stance, but 1t is unquestionably right
not TO do so. Shall we take the cur
lifted to our lips, SO sparkling and fra.
grant and stimulatingP We hesitate to
say: EYES," but, without hesitation,
we may say: No" and forego the
tempting draught.
There is some profitable walk Of BUSH
ness, the influence of which upon the
public good and the common safety is
often questioned, but the profits OF
which are large. May we engage in il
without just censure? Well, there will
be no deserved reproach for letting it
alone.
Will it be safe and right for us to
place upon our board for our own use,
and to offer to our guests, stimulating
and Intoxicating drinks, and to accus,.
tom our children to this feature of do,
meStlc lie! we nope we nave enough
strength of self-control-and that 9TH
ers have-to prevent any mischief.
That may be so, but it can not be de,
MED that abstinence is safe.
There is some style of public enter
tainment, which, in its own nature, or
i'll the character of the performers, or
in the more usual and prevalent type
of its exhibition, is violation of the
most sensitive purity and delicacy; and
leads often practically to |antonness of
imagination, if nothing worse. May
sanction and endorse it with my pres
ence, for the sake of some qualification
of my taste? If, in such qualification,
l have no thought or meaning or expert
ence but what is pure and wholesome,
still if there be question of its pro-
priety and beneficence on the broad
scale of public morals-it will cam
not dispute-be safe for me to stay
away, and keep my skirts clear from
possible evil. There is one safe side.
Let us learn and apply this truth in
all the round of our personal habits, and
so escape impeachment from God and
man.-Dr. Il. h. Stone, IN Pacific.