Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-25

the supcrvsnl of others because we can
not SIC all sides OF the affair rcprehended.
People are generally not so much to
blame as we suppose. 1t is never right
to do wrong, but there may be allevia-
tons There may have arisen n conjunc-
ton of circumstances which would have
flung any one of us The world gives
only one side of the transaction, and that
is always the worst side That dcfaulter
NJ the bank who loaned money he ought
not to have loaned did it for the advan-
tage of another. not for his own. That
young man who purloincd from his en-
ployer did so because his mother was dy-
ing for the lack OF medicine. That young
woman who went wrong did not get
enough wages to keep her from starving
| to death. Most people who make moral
shipwrcck would do right in some cxgcn-
cy, but they have not the courage to say
no.
Better die than do the least wrong but
moderate your anathema against the
wrongdoer by the circumstances which
may yet develop. BE economical of your
curses when all the community is hound
ing some man or woman, Wait, consider,
pause and hope that which is charged is
base fabrication. Do not be like a jury
who shall render verdict against the de-
PENDANT without allowing him to present
his side of the case. | know not what
your observation has been. but have
never known case of default in charac-
ter but there were some circumstances
which ought to weigh on the side OF the
recreant. The most repugnant character
on earth TO me is the man who believes
everything he hears against others and
hurls all the slan1ered down the same
embankment Of denunciation. | dislike
such one more than dislike the offend
Ell for whom he has no mercy.
Disgusting spectacles.
Furthermore, we make ourselves n dis
gushing spectacle when we become busy
bodies. What diabolical enterprise those
undertake who are ever looking for the
moral lapse or the downfall of others!
As the human race is a most imperfect
race, all such hunters find plenty of
game. There have been sewing societies
in churches which tore to pieces more
regulations than they made garments for
the poor. With their sarcaSms and sly
hints and depreciation of motives they
punctured more good names than they
had needles. With their scissors they cut
characters bias, and backstitchej every
evil report they got hold of. Meetings OF
boards OF directors have sometimes ruin.
ed good business men by insinuations
against them The bad work may not
have been done so much by words. for
they would be libelous. but by twinkle
of the eye or shrug Of the shoulder or
a sarcastic accentuation Of word. Yes,
he is all right when he is sober" Have
you inquired into that mans historyY
1 ma xvb b,,c hn in
before he entered this?" Il move that
the application be laid on the able until
some investigations now going on are
! cousumnated." 1t is easy enough 10
start n suspicion that will never down,
! but what a despcable man is the one
who started it,
There is not ar honest man in Wash
| ington or New York or any other city
who cannot be damaged by such Internal
ism. In a village where l once lived a
steamboat every day came to the wharf
An enemy of the steamboat company
asked one day, IL wonder il that steam
boat is safeT The man who heard the
question soon said to his neighbor,
There is some suspicion about the safe
ty of that steamboat" And the next one
who got hold OF it said, "There is an i'm
preston abroad that there will soon be
an accident on that steamer" Soon oil
that community began to say, That
steamer is very unsafe" and as a cOnse-
quence we all took the stage rather than
risk our lives on the river. The steamer
was entirely sound and safe. but one in
terrogation in regard to her started a sus-
pcion that went on until the steamboat
company was ruined. Precisely so noble
regulations and good enterprises and use
full styles of business are slain by inter-
rogation points. Can you imagine any
creature so loathsome as the one who
feels himself or herself called to question
all integrity, all ability, all honesty. all
character? Buzzards looking for carrion.
Most People Are Doing Their Best.
While | believe enough in human de-
pravity to be orthodox, | tell you that the
most Of people whom | know are doing
the best they can. Faults? Oh. yes. AL
people except you and | have faults.
But they are sorry about it, repentant on
account of it and are trying to do better.
About all the married people know of
are married to the one person best suited.
Nearly all the parents with whom ! am
acquainted are doing the best they can
for their children. All the clerks in
stores, so far as know, are honest. and
all persons in official position, city, state
or nation. are fulfilling their mission as
well as they can. The most Of those who
have failed in business. so far as know,
have failed honestly. The singers are
singing their best songs. the sculptors
chiseling their best statues. the painters
penciling their best pictures, the minis
tcrs preaching their best sermons. lake
any audience that assemblies in any
church, and if there are 500 people as
sembled think at least $50 are doing
the best they can. and if there be 5000
assembled at least 1900 are doing the
best they can.
While | was thinking upon this subject
made a visit to one of the national bu
reaus in this capital and found that out
Of eleven hundred millions of money that
had passed through the hands of more
than 400 employees only cents were I'M
accounted for, and the 3 cents were after,
! ward found. What a compliment to com
mon honesty!
All people make mistakes-say things
/ that afterward they are sorry for, ant
I miss opportunity of uttering the righ
. word and doing the right thing. Bu
. when they say their prayers at nigh
these defects are sure to be mentioned
, somewhere between the name of the Lore
. for whose mercy they plead and thu
, amen that closes the supplication. 'Tha
, has not been my observation says some
one. Well, ! am sorry for you, my broth