The herald., 1898-09-04
TO ABOLISH PROFANITY

The movement aiming at universal
peace among the nations is not the only
evidence that the millennium is drawins
near. The great and wicked city Of New
York begins to show signs Of awakened
conscience. The awakening is not vio.
lent enough to disturb even the delicate
adjustment Of political machinery. I,
is not demonstrative, but very sugges-
tive.
! Apparently with the object Of taking a
preliminary step toward reformation,
New York is considering the question of
abolishing the use Of profanity. It is
proposed that moral suasion and statu-
tory process shall work together for the
| redemption Of the metropolis from the
wicked habit which, 1t is freely admitted,
prevails to an alarming extent.
proposed ordinance has been under
discussion in the board of aldermen,
making the use Of profane language, in
any public place within the city limits,
"a msdemeanor punishable by a fine of
from ~ to $40, or Imprisonment for not
more than ten days" The proposition
was freely discussed, but at last accounts
had not been passed. The expressions
OF opinion on the subject, however, were
interesting in disclosing how the aver
age New York alderman is growing in
grace, as evinced by his personal horror
of blasphemy.
A secular movement. aiming in the
same direction. is specially noticeable.
TWO or three years ago the Society of
the Holy Name was organized In the
Catholic churches Of the Long Island dio-
cese. The expressed object Of the So
ciety is Ito stem the tide of the use of
profane and blasphemous language"
Last year the society had a public pa
rade with nine thousaAd men in line.
on the 25th of this month they will parade
again, with a much larger showing.
What is the prospect for this anti bias
pheming reform, sprouting in the heart
of the nation, to spread and finally swoop
over the whole country? That would
truly be "a consummation most devoutly
to be wished" If New York is amenable
~ ANANA Aii, ~ eHS sN udDlt, no OlH6T
community need be backward about en-
tering the lists. And what a glorious
thing it would be If this reform lesson of
New York should so expand and over
flow as to cover the whole country.
sweeping over the Rocky mountains and
engulfing California!
Profanity has no defenders. Those |
who are addicted to its use freely admit |
that its use is inexcusable. The most
that any one will say, affirmatively, is
that it is habit which will assert itself
at times in spite Of efforts at self control.
An old time authority says: "Profane-
ness in men is vulgar and odious; in fe-
males is shocking and detestable." From
this we infer that long ago even woman
would occasionally let slip an anathema
But what is profanity? Misuse Of
the Holy Name. in any form, is undoubt-
sdly blasphemy. Irreverence Of sacred
things Is comprehensive definition Of
profanity. For example, does the ex-
clamation damn it" come within the
rightful definition Of profanity? There
Is certainly no alluson to the Deity in
the phrase, when unembellished by a
prefix. The derivation of damn" gives
no suggestion of the improperly Of its
use.
AS the reform wave sweeps along, how
ever, we suppose the dividing line be-
tween unquestionable profanity and per-
emphasis will be clearly de-
fined. There are doubtless many people
who use the handy little exclamation,
under provocation, who would not think
Of using blasphemy. The subject is in
teresting, anyway, and we shall keep a
sharp lookout for the reform wave as it
sweeps toward California.