The Washington herald., 1908-05-04
Thanks Social Arbiter,

Afilef Ahe washington nSfdid.
The thanks Of this slander-ridden com
munity of Washington are due to The
Social Arblter for his weli-considered and
opposite remarks upon the subject Of
SANDER in your issue of april 26 The
story ought to be read and we'll pondered
by all of us.
II is truly refreshing to read so sound
an exposition Of ethical doctrine as that
put forth by The Arbiter. especially after
having been SO often instructed, ex
cathedra, as it were. by a very astute
gentleman whom We ali admire, and
whom it is unnecessary to name, in
effect. that our duty, individuality.
is 10 strenuously endeavor to crush.
annihilate. socially destroy the un-
happy wight whom we know, per-
sonally, and in our own impeecable in
fallibility, 10 have gone wrong" even
though the courts, the established in
stitutioh for the determination Of the
social fact, have, after the full investi-
cation provided by the law of the land
solemnly and officially pronounced him
to be mot guilty.
Seek not to redeem. to uplift, your
weak, erring. fallen brother; but crush
him down. bury him deep; and rise your
self 10 power and to place over the
coTpses of the socially slain!" This sort
OF unethical rot is. we are told by the
seif-educated exemplars OF the strenuous
life, ''civic righteousness.
1t is not the doctrine Of the Master. Il
is not the doctrine Of any kncwn system
Of ethics. intuitionism. objectiyism, utili-
taTianism. or egoistic heathenism-
Well does The Arbiter lay stress upon
the social obligation of veracity!
Well has a great publicist declared that
the assassin Of character is worse than
murderer.
All Of ethical science Is bunded upon
three fundamental conceptions, which,
In plain English, are:
/. The right Of society to absolute verac-
ity from its individual members.
?. The duty of the individual to mind
his own business" and
3. The negation of any right in the in
dividuaI to constitute himself as the
judge Of the motives of others.
AS a corollary We have, at the founda-
tion Of all Jurisprudence, the celebrated
and but little understood threefold maxim
Of Uipian. viz:
l. Live honestly.
2 Injure nobody, and
3. Render 10 every one that which is
his due.
Now, since Jurisprudence is founded
upon ethics We md in the former science
enumerated, as the very first of the
rights in rem, that is, rights assertible
against all other persons, the right OF
personal security, which right includes
the uninterrupted enjoyment OF life
limbs. body, health, and reputation.
We have neither ethical nor legal right
to speak or write evil things of our fell
low-men, merely because those things
may be true.
Ethcally. as we'll as by the doctrine
Of the criminal law. to afford us iustifica-
ton. the thing must be (a) true, Cb)
published with good motives, and (c) for
justifiable ends.
Ethical doctrine goes still further and
charges us, if we are in conscience unable
to speak we'll Of our neighbor, 10 hold
our peace-not to slandeT him, IN other
words let us beware of malicious utter
ances, for, deep down in our hearts, we
We'll know that. even when we speak
evil truth Of our fellow-man. we do il
with no good motive, but with the mali
clous design 70 injure him I'm his good
name. and with the despicable intent TO
show or by implication Of contrast
our own superior moral qualities. and
to butt in in the "limelight''- self
righteous limelight affected by the Phari-
see. EDMUND B. BRIGGS.