Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1884-12-27
The Slanderer.

In the catalogue OF vice there can be
none more ruinous to the social com.
mon wealth than slander in its various
forms. The original plan of the Uni.
verse was not to have any slanderers
born, and if they were accidentally ere.
ated the statutes of the higher courts
all read that they should be put to
death as soon as discovered. The
church in its immensity should not sane.
tion any plan which would in the
slightest degree have a tendency to
lengthen their lives or add to their hap
piness. The moralist theoretically
heaps curses upon his head and all good
people proclaim eternal and unrelenting
hatred for his associates and his abet-
tors. A child in its infancy and inno-
cency can be reproved and forgiven for
the greatest wrong. Murderers exoiate
their wickedness by sudden absence and
everlasting disgrace Of memory and
family.
Thieves that break in and rob one of
his gold or treasure, and end by arson.
find at the hands of their fellow men a
day Of reckoning.
But the slanderer, the social leper,
this lecherous parasite that creeps up
from the mire and filth and spits his
slime upon the fair name of an innocent
girl, this willy serpent, that laughs at
her downfall and makes mockery Of
honor still goes unpunished.
What a lack in reason he imputes.
Creates the circumstances Of his story
for purpose, and 10 gain his purpose
and sub,erve his schemes, he willfully
and malicously lies. Being detected,
like the wiley serpent he carefully and
cautiously coils around his victim and
under the cover of hypocricy and dis
stimulation breathes poison INTO the life
1
honor aud adore.
lie is moral mistake; worse than
that man who being toe wicked to swear
cursed God and died. See him as he
sneaks along the street and avoids those
whose characters he has questioned, and
trembles lest he should meet the man
he has injured. With brazen bravado
he boastingly requests public discus
sion of his veracity on a subject he
should blush to speak Of.
He is known to his associates as an
unmitigated LARA man without the
rudimcnts OF conscience or q principle
OF honor.
He may weigh coin for government,
attempt 10 gain the confidence Of a
landed and intelligent community, or
to create for himself and his progeny a
competency in mercantile persuits; but
he does not remain long in one place.
His success, like the adept in ledger.
demain, depends upon his deceit. He
has no laudable ambition. He spends
his lie in impro vsing petty schemes
among those whom, by virtue OF his re-
lalions he is brought in contact with.
The years pass by and age adds to
his adroilness, and when at last his
mission is ended and he has returned to
dust, his acquaintance look into each
others eyes, heave sigh of relief and
each one feels the force of the others
thinking, though not word of slander
breaks the suggestive silence Of the oc.
casion; uppermos; in their minds they
read his history in his epitaph.
Created-lived-and had an ambition
to be moral mistake, a low, small
man--succeeded-died without pain or
conscience.
Aged about thirty.two, he leaves a
wife, but no one to mourn his departure.
lie was noticed by few, and the world
is better that he is out of it.-Er.