Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-24
FOLLY OF TEMPERATE
SPEECH.
LDes Molnes CapItal.l

is more than these cometh of evil"
The words quoted will be recognized
as an excerpt from the memorable SER
mon on the mount-that cOmprehen.
sive, eloquent and impressive dis.
course, delivered from a pulpit reared
by natures hand, with no roof above
save the vaulted skies, and before an
audience which is described as the
multitudes"
The words refer to weakness tn
which mankind was evidently much
given at the time they were uttered--a
weakness which does not seem to have
diminished with the passing of nine
teen centuries Of time. Said the Great
Preacher to His audience: I'VE have
heard that It hath been said by them Of
old time, Thou shalt not forswear thy
self, but shalt perform unto the Lord
thine oaths.
But | say unto you, Swear not at
all; neither by heaven; for ii Is Gods
throne:
Nor by the earth; for It is His
footstool neither by Jerusalem; for
II is the city of the great king.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy
head, because thou canst not make one
But let your communication be,
Yea. yea: nay. nay: for whatsoever is
more than these COmeth of evil"
Il requires but brief reflection
upon these words to readily see what
rigid and literal adherence to the
rule contained therein would have
upon spoken or written intercourse be-
tween men. What would become of
the man or woman from whose lips
the words are wont to come in a poly
syllable profusion like rain from the
clouds In summer or as tears from the
cyelids start? What a sweeping away
of adjectives from the pages of our
massive dictionaries would take place,
Under such u regime the professional
linquist would certainly awake to find
his occupation gone.
The Savior Himself praCticed what
He preached. There are no superfiu-
Gus words in the sermon on the mount.
The most cOnsummate rhetorical critic
has never yet been able to point out
aught that savOred either of tautolCgy
or of ambiguity in ali thai he ever said.
Like the life which He lived, the words
which He spake constituted model
tor all time.
However, II Is not our purpose to
make IA plea for too literal adherence
TO the doctrine OF the text We are not
persuaded that such thought was in
| the mind OF the Preacher who uttered
| the words. We are disposed to be.
! lieve that He had in mind the evil of
| swearng-an evil which obtains to
such large extent in the world today.
In that wonderful law announced amid
the thunders and smoke Of Sinai ages
ago the command was given: Thou
| shalt not take the name of the Lord,
| thy God. in vain; for the Lord will not
make his guiltless who taketh His
name in vain"
We have often wondered why II ia
that in moment of anger or displeas-
ure the first impulse is to utter an inn
| precatiOn. why Is ii so natural u
! seize upon sacred name--the name OF
One for whom even the most indiffer-
ent and unthinking are prone to have
moments OF solemn reverence? There
Is probably but one answer, and that Is
! that the impulse is simply one peculiar
manifestation Of that nature which il
is impossible for finite wisdom to ia
thom. But as Divinity never COM
| manded that we refrain from doing
! something which we are incapable OF
keeping from doing, the evil impulses
OF our nature cannot be accepted rs a
plea of mitigation. We are responsible
for our words, and will not he held
guiltless for that which we say.
Within the past few days the press
dispatches have told the story of one
John Kelly Of Baltimore. VINO, while
intoxicated, cursed his wife in IA most
blasphemous and blood-curjling man,
ner. In the midst of his awful Ian.
gHage he suddenly chOked. tried tC
speak, but his voice was gone. He hat
been stricken dumb. The man believes
today that this condition has come
upon him as a penalty for the bias
phemous utterances to which he haC
given expression.
Some people will declare that KelI!
was simply the victim of a paralytl'
stroke. Others will he equally con
WINGED that the aflliction came as d.
rect visitation from the hand of al
offended Deity. Readers of these linel
are at liberty to form their own conclu
sions, Ordinary swearing is baC
} enough, Blasphemy is worse. II,
who INDUCES in it adds neither fore,
.or elegance to that which he under
takes to say. Said the wise man
Words fifty spoken are like apples O
gold in pictures OF silver" with sucl
an ideal in mind IT will not be alto
gether difficult to avoid the folly of in
temperate speech.