The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-07-27
SCANDAL.

The East Oregonian, in commenting
on the habit of 'gossiping" on scam
dal mongers, says:
"Of course, no decent person will fail
to despise scandal monger. He is
beneath notice and deserves electro
ocution. But on the other hand, the
scandal monger is impotent when at
tempting to tear down the reputation
of one whose character is founded on
real virtue and guided by principle.
This is correct as general rule, and
there is no more despicable person
than he or she who attempts to pry in
to the affairs of others. Still there are
such people in every community, and
they delight in every species of filth
and nastiness that may float in social
cutters and sewers. They will read
with the greatest avidity the columns
of disreputable newspapers, and spend
hour after hour in gloating over the
nasty details of social wrecks and
never pay the least attention to solid
articles that have tendency to de-
velop and expand the mind and make
the mental faculties more competent
to place themselves in touch and SYM
pathy with the advancement of the age.
The immunity from this scourge which
this community enjoys is subject for
congratulation, and gives editors and
others a free range to condemn it in
scathing terms.
Further on in the same article our
esteemed cotemporary has the follow
ing:
"a good man or woman should be
sufficiently in the confidence of the
community in which he or she lives so
that this confidence will repel insinua-
tions against character. Unless this
be true there is radical defect, and
one that should be remedied. Study
to discover that defect rather than to
find means to contradict the false as
sertions."
These remarks are true in general
way; but there have been some very
notable exceptions. OF course, every
man or woman who have been careful
in their character-building exist in
different atmosphere from the common
slanderer or gossip vender, and should
be far above them; but the insidious
poison instilled by the whispered re-
port or the sly innuendo often has its
effect in communities upon those who
are the least susceptible to criticism,
Like jealously, scandal frequently
makes the meat upon which it feeds,
and always loves shining mark. In
. venerable book we are informed that
John the Baptist came neither eating
Or drinking and people said he had a
1evil; but Christ ate and drank with
oublicans and sinners, and they said
ne was a glutton and wine-bibber.
So, it seems, that the same status of
Iociety existed two thousand years ago
Is does now. There has not been
much improvement or retrogression in
his regard, and in the future it will
continue in the same groove.
The East Oregonian may be correct
n its deductions that there must be
ONE radical defect in characters who
'ecome victims of gossip; but we can
otimagine what was the matter in the
wo cases mentioned, except that their
ure lives created envy in the hearts
t the vicious. There is little perfec-
ion in human nature, and if the in.
lnction of the Savior were followed
D pick out the mote in our own eyes
efore we attempted to discover the
cam in our neighbours the world
ould be purer and better. ,