The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-22

YOU were passing down the street the
voices Of men indulging in coarse and
blatant profanity without seeing or
learning ought else about them. YOU
would say here is crowd Of black
guards and roughs You would meas
ure them by one single standard
profanity; and YOU would measure
them accurately. Did you ever hear a
woman swearing? | trus. that won
have been spared such painful shock
But should YOU ever meet a profane
female, would you be disposed to
marry her? Would YOU tip your hat
to her In passing? Would you even
tip your hat to her in passing? Would
YOU not know her at once as a disgrace
to her sex? But why this merciless
judgment? simply because Of the habit
that has seemed 50 manly in you. J
submit that woman has the same
natural right to swear and remain
womanly that YOU have to swear
and remain manly. Profane swearing,
whether in man or woman, is disgusting
+o ho X,
revolving to the good, insulting to
women, and degrading to all who
practice 1t.
5. | affirm in the fifth place that
profane swearing is an assault on the
foundofion Of or gorernnaent This
government is organized under three
departments legislative, executive and
judicial but the entire system depends
for its purity and efficiency upon the
sanctity of an oath. Our presidents
and governors are inducted into office
under oath. Our judges and our iuries
are sworn to faithfulness and impartial
ity in the administration of Justice.
Witnesses and attorneys are put through
the same solemn form. What assur-
ance have we that righteousness and
truth shall control the actions of these
public servants? What guarantee
have we that our property and our
lives will be guarded by the majesty of
the law? Simply this and nothing
more that these men respect an oath.
In swearing "upon the molly evangelists
of Almighty God," they profess to fear
the wrath and reverence of this dread
Being. But when man habitually
despises and profanes and blasphemes
this awful name, what power has :.
courthouse oath upon him? What
restraint has the name of God upon
him? What influence is there left
save the mean fear of detection and
punishment? For the man who
swears habituallv, no oath has any
weight when self-interest is in the bal
ance. He that can swear vainly can
swear falsely. Only solemn reverence
for the Makers name makes any oath
a sacred thing.
6. Again, the habit of profanity
eats out the suearer's moral character
The source Of all moral life is God. He
is at once tie standard and motive Of
all righteousness Remove him and
you pluck out the heart of good feel
ings and good actions Abolish the
recognition of God and reverent fear of
him, and you have left no anchor for
man s moral character I do not affirm
that all swearers lie or steal Many dc
not they would resent the insinuation
What | do affirm is that the tendency
Of profanity is away from righteousness
all kinds of II righteousness, and that no
man can say where the swearer will end.
You can introduce rot into a tree but
can you stop its progress? There were
two Lieutenant Generals in the Con
federate Army who were the flower Of
Southern chivalry and the soul Of
knightly gallantry Who then would
have dared impeach their honor? But
both, believe, were profane sWearers
and one went beyond the borders Of
common decency in his plasphemy
They have become a blot on manhood
and a bv-word for shameless robbery.
7. Finally. profane swearing is one
OF the most malignant sins against God
1t is direct Insult to Dietv, an in