Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-06-13
Don't Knock.
New York SUM

|
Bunalo, town entitled to exaI, ,tu
horn. Last week the Commerc;a,
travellers association gave a hearing
10 Mr.. Maurice II. Case supreme pres
ident, and Mr.. Clarence III. Layery
supreme secretary and treasurer. OF
the order OF Don't Knock" which
was Incorporated March 20. The char.
ter members are Buffaloans. Every
person who joins the order solmenly
nihds himself to pay fine OF l cent
every time he Is caught "kockIpg."
me proceeds of the fines are - 20 to
charity
To knock is beginning Of -the-cen.
tury English for to backbite." to
speak i'll Of 1t is the purpose NJ
the new society to suppress the habit
"hlch Is altogether too common and
springs sometimes from thoughtIess-
ness as much as from malice. At
'itnes 1t seems to be infectious. Let
someone in any community begin to
say mean or unkind things of some
absent person. and ten to one someone
else VIII take mp the tale and add
spite TO spite, 1t ought to be as easy
10 speak good as to speak evii of your
friends and acquaintances. but notice
now sneer, an unjust criticism. a
scandalous story Is rolled along from
tongue. gathering venom in its pass-
age. Some cynics say frankly that
they don't scruple to talk about
their friends because they know that
their friends do not scrupIe to talk
about them. scurvy plea. as if
rom must be sneak and gossip be-
cause Dick and Harry are.
The amount of suffering that is now
caused by tattling. backbiting and
they say. especially In small com
mnnities whore everybody knows ev-
crybody ana every word OF depreci-
alton or scandal is sure to reach its
mark. is incalculable. You can hard
ly take up newspaper without find
Ing In 1t some story of desperate af-
fray or suicide or murder, OF somebody
done to death by poisoned tongues
But even these positive and palpable
results of knocking are not so sim
lister as the effect of 1t upon the hard
ened though perhaps unconscious
practicer of 1t. He or she. acquiring
the censorious, shopping. backbiting
habit, becomes nuisance and
curse. mere bag of bile and jaun-
dice. collector of the offaI of illna-
ture. In some cases knocking" be-
comes an incurable disease. but In Its
such treatment as the Don't Knock or.
der proposes. The objects of the
order are thus described in the con
stitution:
Section ! To overcome among our
members the deplorable habit OF
speaking i'll of our fellows-otherwise
known as knocking by pre-
eept and example trying to induce
others to do the same.
See. 2. To better the social and
moral condition of mankind by true
devotion in its members to the cause
of charity in Its broadcast sense.
Sec g. To keep the golden rule
ever in the minds of its members.
Sec A. To bind its members to-
gether in social and fraternal man
Ter.
And here is little bit OF the very
healthful creed.
We believe that the practice of
speaking i'll of our fellowmen. other
wise knocking Is detestable. un-
brotherly and uncharitable.
We believe 1t our duty to conceal
the imperfeotions OF our fellows. pro-
vided their actions are not of great
menace to the welfare of the commu-
nifty. and to do all we can. by precept
and example to show them where
they err.
h.1t hat ltxyn
ed daily; that many hearts are made
miserable and many men and women
1riven to desperation by the despica-
BILE practice OF knocking"
We believe that in most instances
| knocking Is done thoughtlessly. and
| even those who knock maliciouslv
and with evil intent would refrain IL
they would but give a thought to the
/ possible consequences of the act.
We believe that simple little
knock" unthnkingly made sometimes
grows to such proportions az to he
more cruel and dangerous than the
slungine of a sharp knife into the VI
tails of the victim.
We believe that a persistent. delib-
crate "knocker" is MS vile and danger
Gus to the welfare OF a community as
= murderer.
We believe that many people judo"
others by their own standard, and thHt
because thew are not tempted or are
able to resist doing some particr'"-
thing that thev consider wrong. thew
feel themselves warranted in despis-
ing and criticisi1e those who are
weaker then themselves or whose
opinions differ from their own.
Don't KNOCK" and don't rubber
neck" to excess.