The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-06-06
One Safe Side.

We find ourselves quite often puzzled
as to the issues of right and wrong in
the practical questions of daily life. We
have strong inclination to some course,
of procedure concerning the wisdom or
propriety or lawfulness of which we cam
not help entertaining doubt VIII IL
do for us to &C forward, or will it VIC
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 allie
glance to the purest moralityP May we
safely take some step quite agreeable
| TO lis, 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 clear
| ly the merits of the case, and we can
not assume ne affirmative in the prob
| lem of privilege without some slight
misgiving as to the vindication of QUIZ
course. We do not mean to do wrong,i
and we hope we have not gone astray,i
for nothing would induce US to tramplel
upon any positive law OF rectitude.
| Still there is little cloud brooding the
whole transaction, within which there
may lurk above our head q shadow of
condemnation. How can we be guided
in 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,i
in most of these puzzles, one indisputa-
bly, safe side. 1t may not be quite right
to crafty our inclination in a given in
stance, but 1T is unQuestionably right
not 10 do so. Shall we take The cup
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 bust
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 it
without Just censure? Well, there will
be no deserved reproach for letting it
| alone.
Wilf1t be safe and right for us to
place upon our board for our own use,s
and to offer to our guests, stimulating
and intoxicating drinks, and to accus-
tom our children to this feature of do
mestic life? We hope we have 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. I
There is some style of public enter
tainment, which, in its own nature, or
in 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 wantonness 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,
] have no thought or meaning or expert
ence but what IS pure and wholesome,
still if there be a question of its pro-
priety and beneicence on the broad
scale of public morals-it will can
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. L. Stone, in Pacific.