The Mena weekly star., 1897-09-01
GREAT AMERICANS WHO swl

NOW A guished Precedcnts Are Dfsput,
 The fly and the mosquito season usually ripe, suggests the subjee profanity. Not that the subject Is pendent on any season, only thers \ times when some of us are more or indifferent to it. A large portio the words we overhear as we passa the streets, in summer or winter oaths, coming to be uttered almoa consciously by boys and men and con to fall almost unneeded on the ea the listener. They are more plen than the lies they frequently are tended to ornament; from being
 mere decoration they have becoms superstructure, the lie means maintaining it's original proportioa
 Debating societies which continus discuss: ''Is lie ever justifiabs never take up the same question swear words. It would be wasb time. View it as we may, from esthetic or the moral standpoint, ol have passed into the every minute S guage of a large per cent. of the a population. 1t would be necessara modify the question for debate so a read this way: "Can an oath under tain conditions be pardonable? n the conditions might be such as suggested by the mosquito seag | typographical errors, slump in market, legislative interference N the states well-being, teaching & ards Greek or rowing and the like all debates of this kind, if our men| serves us, the argument is clinche3 going into history and hunting | precedents.
 Thus, the Father of His Country never told lie, is on traditions red as having uttered an oath. As we around we find that we have to sS 1 pretty closely to American historyl our precedents, inasmuch as ~ | Dieu," "Gott in HimmeP' and ''sacrl across the water are considered noI | | phurous atmosphere which is said have surrounded "Old Hickory come down to modern times with many authenticated cases. The war was prolific, however. It furnia l two. One was when Gen. SherI was called forward to see nersons what it was that obstructed the pat his army. He had discountenancedp fanity in general. When he reached spot in question he foand q team of stinate army mules, their driver moi ing '.cuss words because within hearing of the general, and they tn selves firm as the everlasting h After an aid had explained the dri was allowed to swear. The mules mediately resumed their journey l from that time the general is sait have believed severe language wa necessary part of muleteer's eqI ment. That's the story.
 The other instance is preserved il immortal poem, ''Sheridan's Ra How the declaiming schoolboy will ever ring out those words: ''He das down the line with a terrible oa Sheridan was inspiring a whole an he was turning crushing defeat lH famous victory, he was winning un ing fame. Many an otherwise cls mouthed officer or trainer has that in emergencies good oath" i that will bring men to their senses. here comes Gen. George A. Forsytl Harper's and puts Poet Read in class of fiction writers. As young Gen. Forsyth was with Gen. Sheri most of the time on that memorable at Cedar creek. He was close to hin he dashed down that reformed line he takes occasion to say emphatic that there was no terrible oath" or other kind of oath. Sheridan ha word of cheer for officers and menl and there, and they were inspire their heroic deeds by the very sigh their leader.
 So 1t may be that the story of WI ington's oath is hypocritical. Jack may have indulged in sulphur and S man may never have given his sane to language prescribed in decent ciety. And thus, therefore, it ma that just as much can be accomplis with mosquitoes or men or type or islatures without profanity. and
 conditions under which it is admiss may exist only in the fancy of the nighted.-Hartford Courant.