The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-21
ON SPREADING SCANDALS.

HE DISSEMINATION of scandal
and gossip. the latter containing
perhaps one grain of truth TO ten thou
sand grains OF fiction, is ordinarily the
hallmark of the little town. People in
small towns don't have much to talk
about, so they discuss one another. For
city Of its size and pretensiOns there
is altogether too much of this sort of
thing In Salt Lake. Much of this is
thoughtlessness. but a good deal of it
is pure venom, inspired by the envy of
the small mind for the success Of others
in the winning of esteem, Of wealth, of
social position, of honor.
The words Of a taIe-bearer are as
wounds" said Solomon. 1t is true.
Many a pure reputation has been
stabbed to death by the words of ma
licious or thoughtless tale-bearers. 1t
is so easy TO start a scandal, so hard
20 stop il after IL has been started.
The most innocent circumstance, one
that could easily be explained il the
individuals involved were given an op-
portunity 10 explain, becomes a mon
umental crime after it has been rolled
under the tongues of twenty men and
women gossips.
How much easier it is TO say a smart
mean thing Elan a smart good thing,
and how much more readily peo-
pie believe the smart mean thing than
the smart good thing. Where one man
or woman viii stop to listen to a story
about how John Smith Doe sent a
wagOnload of groceries to the home of
a deserving widow. a hundred will
listen TO an entirely improbable story
of how this same John Smith Doe drank
too much at the club and then went
home and threw Mrs. Doe. poor long
suffering woman. down the stairs. And
they sympathize with Mrs. Doe, who
doesn't in the least need their sympa-
thy. and abuse Mr.. Doe-but always
behind his back. always, for your tale
bearer is careful always TO be most
polite 20 the individual he ISLANDERS
most cruelty
II the purveyors of scandal only knew
fl their words do not cause wounds only
10 those about whom the scandals are
related. The tellers themselves are
wounded. Cast up in your mind the
names of the friends you esteem most
highly. Does the list include the names
of many tale-bearers? We hardly
think so. The taIe-bearer is never pop
ular because the people TO whom he
tells his tales know that he is lying or
cxaggerating about them TO the next
people he meets You have the uncom-
Portable feeling while he is talking that
perhaps he will go to your next door
neighbor after eating your bread and
tell him that your home life is very
unhappy.
The man 10 tie 10 is the man who
never says anything evil about any one
unless he is prepared 10 prove his story
and unless he is ready 10 meet the in
dividual most directly concerned and
accuse him TO his face. And even then
a really big. decent man Will give the
accused chance TO reform. AS we
said i'm the beginning, there is altogeth-
er too much character assassination
going on i'm salt Lake City. We don't
believe in violence as usual thing, but
we would hardly condemn a man who
would soundly thrash a few OF the as
sassins-men, Of course, for We haven't
any suggestion whatever for the pun
ishment Of the women. Their pans
and penalties win be administered to
them in another world.