San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-11-08
Backbitlng.
For the FRER PnEss

1
1t is generally conceded, by mon, Mt leas
that, gossip, or backbting, II the old.fash
toned, biblical word is admissible, il n char
aoteristic of woman exclusively. but obsor
walton has Ia ight us that both sexes ar'
equally culpablo in this respect, with this
difference; women are harder on their owl
sex, and 30 are men.
II is said woman is posted on all the de
ficencies of the people in her community
As her facilities for acquiring such knowl
edge are quite limited, how does she get
her information? OF course not from her
male friends, as they never toll tales (9) out
of school,
With due allowance for the unlimited
"cheek" of the masculines, it is beyond oul
comprehension how they can have tho au-
dacity to criticize women so numerically
for tho exhibition of n fault that they arC
equally guilty of.
Competition between men, especially II
dollars aud cents are involved, causes them
to backbite each other; even preachers are
not exempt from this sin.
Look ut theparticipants in the late politi-
cal campaign, how the members of each
party picked each other TO pieces, and the
majority of them did fine detective work in
ferreting out the real and imaginary(?) mis-
demeanors of the aspirants to office of the
opposing factions: aud as very few men Cor
women either have the moral courage to
say squarely to mans face just what they
will behind his back, most of this work was
done sub rosa.
Solomon said: "Train up n child the
way st should go, and when it is old it will
not departed from it," We suppose the
Same rnle is applicable if it not trained the
way it should go.
Parents, in the presence of their children,
discuss the shortcomings of their neighbors
aud friends, and as women are more eau
tious(p) than men, it is mama tina. invaria-
bly, warns the Juveniles: "You must not
repeat what papa and have said, it would
cause us trouble" Children being up
scholars, soon set up in business for them
selves, aad often if thoy cannot fad any
thing to tell, will manufacture out of very
limited material.
Paul puts backbiting in catalogue with
condemnable Sins, such rs murder, Gcd hat
ers and so on while we modern chrlstians(O
contend over doctrinal points, make great.
or to do over dancing and oSher violations
of minor prohibitary laws of churches, we
are silent as regards backbiting. Knowing
all the while of its predominance over our
other sins in churches as we'll MS out of
them. Like the Pharisees we strain at n
gnat and swallow a camel; yes, two or three
of them.
We are called on to halt by protest
again INST our unjust(?) criticisms. There
are numbers of people that never speak
either privately or publicly of others mis-
deeds" Well, yes, but we are talking of
live folks and not ciphers. Yes, there are
individuals, generally men, that would not
condemn even by o look, the greatest wrong
ever perpetuatei on people, provided it
did not conflict with their interests. They
do not seem to recognize the fact that there
are evils that should lie denounced in thun-
der tones and if we should hold our peace
the rocks would Immediately cry out.
But as an extreme does not make its OPP
posite right, we still contend that backbit-
ing more or less very nearly universal Sin,
and that we should set about q reform in
this line Immediately, and in our opinion
the foundation to success in this as well as
most other reforms is not in the formation
of societies, taking pledges, and we like to
have said appeals to legislature, and if we
had it would not have been moro nabsurd
than some that have been made, and heed
cd too; but by u mental resolve to abstain
from this sin in the future. In place of
trying to reform each other, let us get the
beam out of our own eye first then if we
see notes in the eyes of others and are
"moved" to speak, let it be to them and
not to everybody else. for no one was ever
made better by second, third and oftimes
sixth hard reproof.
OF course this mode of procedure would
cause kind of social revolution for awhile,
but in the end we would respect ourselves
and command that of others. Besides JUS
tice demands that we should do unto others
as we would be done by, and there is not
one of us but what would prefer being told
of our faults in a kind way than to have
them discussed in onr absence. r.
Do Won suffer with catarrb? You can be