The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-28
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Prsesdsnu Are pl'pa.'e' v,


Precedent. are p''Pa.se'
From the Hartford couraht' The ny
ana the mosquito season. unusually
r,ne suggests the subject Of profanity.
No, that The subject Is dependent upon
any season. only there are times when
some OF M are more or less INDIFFERENT
toll. A large portion Of the words we
oyerhear as we pass along the streets.
IN summer or winter, are oa'hs' Cum
ing 20 be- uttered almost unconHoiouSly
by boys and men and coming to iail al
most UNDECIDED on the ears oil the us
tener They are more plentiful than
the lies they frequently are intended to
ornament; from being the mere decora-
ton they have become the superstrue-
iure. the lie meanwhile maintaining Us
original proportions. Debating socie-
ties which continue 10 discuss. ia iis
ever iustlhable?" never take up the
same question for swear words.
would DO a waste OF time View It
we may. from the aesthetic or the moral
standpoint. oaths have passed into the
every minute language OF a large per
cent OF the male population. II woulI
be necessary 10 modify the question fct
debate 40 as 10 read this way: Can
an oath under certain conditions be
pardonable7" Then the conditions
might be such as are suggested by the
mosquito season. typographical errorr
a slump In the market. legislative inter.
ference with the states well being.
teaching billiards Greek or rowing aud
the like. In all debates Of the kind. u
our memory serves NJ. the argument
s clinched by going into history and
hunting out precedentH. Thus. tho
father of hia country. who never told q
lie, Is on traditions record as having
uttered an oath. AZ we look around
We hnd that We have 10 stick pretty
closely 20 American history for our
precedcnts. lnasmuch as Mon Die
Colt Ia Himmel' and "sacristl" across
the water are considered not to count.
Passing then. through the sulphurous
atmosphere which is said 10 have sur
rounded odd Hickory" We come down
20 modern times without many auihen.
Heated eases The civil war was pro.
lie. however Il furnished two. One
was when Gen. sherman was called for
ward 10 see personally what Il was that
obstructed the path Of his army. Ha
had discountenanced profanity IN gen
eral When he reached the spot IN
question he found team Of obstinate
army mules. their driver not using "cuss
words" because within the hearing oi
the general. and they themselves arm
a. the everlasting hills After an aid
had explained the driver was allowed
TO swear The mules Immediately re-
sumed their journey and from that time
the general IL said 70 have believed Sc
we're language was a necessary part az
a muleieer's equipment That's the
story. The other instance IL preserved
In an immortal poem. "Sheridans
Ride" How NE declaimlng schoolboy
will forever rims out these words. "Hs
dashed down the line with a terrible
oath" sheridan was inspiring a whols
army. he was turning a crushing defeat
into a famous victory. he was winning
undylng fame Many an otherwise
clean-mouthed oficer or trainer ha
said that In emergencies a good OATH
Is an that will bring men 70 their
senses But here comes ueh. ,T-orgt
/ A. Forsyth In the July Harper's ant
puts Poet Read In the class OF hciloa
wriiers As young aid. General For
syth was with General sheridan most
Of the time on that memorable day az
Cedar Greek lle was close 10 him as
BE- dashed down the reformed line ana
be- takes occasion 20 say emphatlcally
that there was no terrible oath" or any
other Kind OF oath. sheridan had
word % cheer ior officers and men here
and there and they were Inspired 20
their heroic deeds by the very slight Of
their leader
So u may be that the story Of wash
ington's oath b. hypocrlilcal. Jackson
may have INDUCED 10 sulphur and
sherman may never have given his
sanction TO language prescribed IN de-
cent society. And thus therefore. Il
may be that just as much can BE- ac-
compllshod with mosquitoes or men or
type or legislatures without profanity.
and the conditions under which Il is
admissible may exist only In the fancy
u the hcnlghted