The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-03-12
BOYS AND THE |
SWEARING HABIT

Editor Advertiser: / want to say a
word or two about swearing, which
practice, L regret to say, is far more
prevalent among the boys here than
one would suppose.
This practice, if confined to the lower
classes, were bad enough, but when
we find boys addicted to this habit who
have every advantage of birth, educa-
ton and good environment, to say
nothing of homes of culture and re.
fnement, it is very much worse.
Now l do not want it understood
that l am considering this habit from
a religious, or even from a moral point
but simply from a manly point of view;
and | would hope that every boy would
want to appear manly. And L want to
say that though some great men have
been in the habit of using this kind
of language, on great occasions, there
is nothing manly about it. Nor do l
want to see boys act like sissies; on
the contrary ! like above all things to
see them display courage, even daring,
and to be lovers of all kinds of manly
sports. Indeed any boy that belongs
to baseball, or football team, or can
do anything on a surfboard, or in a
surf canoe, or is an expert in any other
game, we consider that he is a boy to
| be praised and admired. But it does
| not matter how clever or expert boy
| may be if he have this habit of swear
| ing our admiration is not proof against
| that. Indeed we do not consider that
| any talent is bright enough, or any
achievement great enough to cover up
| this defect. For instance, l met a
young man the other day. He was a
fine, handsome, noble looking young fell
low, a perfect specimen of young man
hood. And besides this he is past
master in all kinds of sports; but sad
| to say, he had this bad habit of swear.
| ing, and which spoiled everything. And
| what is much worse, he, and such as
he, are setting a bad example for the
boys who are only too quick TO follow
the example OF any one whom they
admire. Now / want to say again that
there is nothing manly in swearing, OF
in using still more Objectionable Ian
guage; but much that is low and de
basing, and what is likely to exert ;
bad influence over them all their lives
nor can any good whatever conn
I ilOih IL. IN lacA, SO SoHhoh 40 w.
swearing habit booming that it is diff
cult to prevent even the youngest chill
dren from hearing it. And only thu
other day little girl that know elee
trified her mother and friends by ask
ing what d-n fool meant. And
knew another little boy, or rather
baby, that astonished his father b
saying d-n, and which was almost th
first word he ever used.
A friend of mine says that tn
fathers of these boys are to blame TO
: this, the fathers being so busy chasin
r the elusive dollar that they have n
time to rule their boys; in fact it is nc
uncommon, he says, to see the boy
!. ruling theml He also says that tbes
5 very advantages of high living, Leisure
o etc., in creating energy has tendenc
, to make the boys bad; unless, indee'
they are encouraged TO use IN this su
0 plus energy in healthy, manly sport
f But think it is partly because we d
I not know their chief or principal cha
acteristies, or cannot read the chara
= tiers of the hoys. If we could do th
we could often warn them to bewaI