The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-19

Chicago, October 12.-A vigorous pro- test against the prevalent habit of pro- fanity is made by Rev. Frank De Witt Talnage in this sermon on the text Ex- odus xx. '. aThou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain"
 The blasphemer's condemnation is a mighty theme Its curse indiree.sy affects the whole human race. Every man be- longs to one of two classes-either he is blasphemer and therefore, on account of his profanity. comes directly under the condemnation of God, or else he belongs to that large class whose ears are pol luted by his profane utterancess in which class are some who listen with indif- ference or contempt, while others shud- der with horror as they hear the blasphe- nous mention of the name of their Mas ter and King.
 No street car or factory or shop or camp is entirely free from this shocking plague. In our streets and public re- sorts there is daily and hourly evidence of the prevalence of this pernicious habit. Not only does the husband and father swear, but his example is sometimes fol-
 
 his little children. Motormen swear at the trucks. Engineers swear at their fires. Boys swear at their lessons in the school room and at their base ball bats upon the playground. Merchants swear at their clerks. Employees. under their breath in the store and out loud when they are away from the counters, swear at their employers. Men swear when they are buying goods. Fishermen swear at heir hooks and lines and at the fish they 10 not catch. Commercial travellers swear because the train or the hotel meal Is ate or because there is no water pitcher the bedroom. Sailors swear at the 'opes and the winds. Farmers swear at he cattle and the grain and the weather. Hen swear at the gutter into which they tumble and at the wagon wheel which spatters them with mud. Blasphemers swear when they are happy; they swear when they are sad; they swear at every body and everything. The peculiartty of this habit of profanity is that It so per meates the blasphemers mind and con- versation that he gets to swear uncon- sciously. He can swear automatically in the same way that the lungs can breathe automatically or a child's eyelids can open and shut automatically, or as speaker. when he Is thinking or planning out an address, can walk up and down
 
 that Christian pulpits should utter their protest against the universal evil of sac- -ilegious imprecation.
 Profanity is a cruel and a cowardly habit, because it shocks the holiest feel ngs and pierces the hearts of thousands md hundreds of thousands of Christians who are unable by law to stop this awful md blood-curdling infamy. Only the other day a telephone girl had Chicago h mt eli fad nd Ina n the police justice court because the defendant swore at her over the wires. His defense before the justice was that he was hungry and wanted to order his dinner from neighboring restaurant and that the girl in the central office of the telephone company would not give him the right connection. But when the justice heard the young girls statement that she could not make the necessary connection because the lines were busy 1t that time he decided against the de- .ense of the Chicago merchant He said, No man mas right to hurl profane words at any public servant when that man or women is trying to do his or her ,ull duty" But Christian people cannot as a class stop the profane remarks which they hear every day from the passers-by upon the different public thoroughfares.
 The blasphemer is essentially a coward,
 
 because he infiicts suffering on people who are powerless to resist or retaliate. It is a hard word, but I use the plain, unvarnished Anglo-SaXon word which describes the cowardly act. l want you swearers to realize the extent Of the in juries which you are doing against some of your fellow men when you swear in public I want you to fully realize how you are cutting and lacerating Christian hearts with your bood-curdling oaths by trying to put yourself, if possible, in your Christian brothers place, who is com pelled to listen every day to the public utterances of profanity. You can judge, perhaps, how your Christian neighbor feels by supposing that some one is speaking slightingly and disrespectfully and slanderously of some one you very dearly love. You have mother or a wife or perhaps, to use better illustra- ion a young daughter whom you fondly cherish Suppose in some public place you should hear her name vilifed. What would you do? Why need you answer? Even now I can see your cheek flush and your teeth become set and your hands ciinch together. You would immediately demand an apology from the viliher or perhaps, if you are an impulsiye man, you would raise your fist and knock that man down. You would do just what friend of mine did some years ago in Waynesburg, w. Va. He was bringing home the dead body of his little girl, who was ms Idol As a great rough, brutal porter took the coffin out of the baggage car he. the father said to him: Man. please be careful Don't handle that box .oughly'' But when the porter in spite of that plea swore at the coffin and used | contemptuous epithet about the beloved form within it and roughly let the box