Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-09-06
A WORD ayvur rLArIrUprs.
A Correspondent Combats the pIatitudiaa
rian Tendency of the Present Day,

rtan Tendency of the Present Day,
For the lNTELLiGRNoKR.
Plat plat plat ti-tu-d-e-s-tUdes-pla
tudcs. Yes, that's the tsrm-a most pop
ular term a most convenient term {; one
of the most far. fetched terms in order to
attempt to break the force of anything that
really has merit, when nothing else can be
| arrayed against it besides 1t is a cheap
term, most maguaumous term, and
withal, bloated pharisaical term made
use of for the past eighteen hundred years
| or more, to condemn by the lips that to
which the heart and the reason assents.
There are platitudes without olassitica.
tion political platitudes, social plau.
| tudcs, religious platitudes, moral plati.
tudes, commercial platitudes, in short, any
| declaration IN behalf Of fright, justice and
humanity Is opposed by antagonistic
principles, as mere platitudes. lnfdelity
brands the sermon on the Mount y as
tissue of platitudos, in order to break the
force Of Scripture. The ten command.
| ments are, practically, platitudos, in the
| estimation of many who profess to DO
| Christians the legitimate canons of social
| intercourse are moro platitudes in the eyes
Cf those who habitually ignore social
purity the honest declarations OF official
reform are but abstract platitudes, accord.
ing to the views of fthose who prefer to ba TX
| In continuous official corruption. IL seems
easy and convenient 10 hamper any pro-
greSsive principle, no matter how disin-
terested and pure IS q platitude, when
| there is an interested desire to render 1t OF
| non-etfect. \ platituder according to its
| dictionary import, is something that i'd
stale, flat and dull, (perheps like this
| paper), but surely there must be many
unfair, il not vicious, applications of tho
term, for it is often made use of as o sort
of scavenging brush, to obliterate some Of
the visest and purest sayings of men.
Tho average adversary when he is at q
| loss for rebutting augmentation, has only
| to rise (Or write) in his place, and say
" Gentlemen all these declarations and
| professions are blatant platitudes, " and
| the uuthinkinS crowd cry out-brayo !;
" that's so W Recently a distinguished
candidate for the presidency, signifed
his acceptance of the nomination, through
| a brief public communication, and it was
astonishing to SEQ the unauimity of the
opposing parties and press in following the
cue of larger city editorial opinion, ex
pressed through the stale term OF plati.
tudes. The presidency is purely an execu'
tive Office and the president is under an
obligation 70 administer tao provisions OF
the constitution, and execute the laws OF
Congress and, therefore, there is nc
special need of his entering into a detailed
exposition Of his political principles, hence
in accepting nomination, half
dozen proper lines might contain
all that is necessary on such al
occasion under any circumstances
he can do nothing except what tle consti-
tiou and the laws enacted by congress per
mits him TO do. Under the constitution
and laws it is tho people, through thei
representatives, that rule, or ought to rule
Beware of any long.winded candidate wht
declares in advance what he is going t
; 90. if elected. "BeTarc OF foreign
! tility TO every fern Of tyranny over tht
t mind of man - ''By the eternal tn
3 Union must be preserved" The sobe
eficient n3d nevet @ W. wrohRs RSG?'o i IN mi
4 rather be right than be president.
t with good Will towards all and malic
4 towards none" TELL the truth" o
e oourso, all these uttcrRuces are mgr
It platitudes, in the estimation of thos
d sentiments adverse to those VIII
. uttered them. l. seems rather remarkably
that President Garfield uttered nothing 0
;, his 'long aud lingering death bed" tha
# could fairly be distorted into plati.utC
g There being very little Rllusiou to "GO
d and eternity" by those thai surrounded ri,
9 (save those near and dear to him) and oal
y the worldly eide of his case the object {
4 their sOlCtude, there WAS little eEcOurag,
h ment TO utter 4 platitude of any kini, a.s
T perhaps there was wisdom in it. Seeiu
= how such uttranCes are regarded by .
| avaricious aud selfish world Strenuou
9 efforts are being made to obliyiate Z
0 that is valuable of the past, as mere
/ .f,tf J. -
j but the blasted present. NERTEX.