The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-06
If He Lived Today, James would Say That the Tongue Was Worse and >Deadlier Than Dread
 nOuwht.
BY WILLIAM n. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM n. ELLIS.
 The peace societies are campaigning against the building of more battle, ships of the type. which has so aroused Europe. All the inter- national politics of our time Is being powerfully, affected by the creation of this new and monstrous engine of death. Worse than the "Dreadnought'' is the peril against which James wrote in his practical and outspoken letter to the early Christian Church. He reached out for all the strongest images he could imagine to express the hurt fulness of this evil and had Dread noughts' existed in his time, doubt less they, too. would have been util- fixed as figure of malign power. For that unruly member, the human tongue, has wrought more harm to humanity than all the swords and guns and war; ships that have ever been manufactur-- ed. The truth seems too obvious to be dwelt upon, yet nothing needs more emphasis in our own time. We could afford to go without, for a generation to come. some of the new discoveries of our wizard-like scientists. If only in- stead We could devise a way of bridiing peoples tongues.
 James came to the subject by way of the tendency of the new Christians to assume places of instruction. The gift of teaching attracted them. and they were prone to allow their words to outrun their knowledge--a fashion which did not cease with James's time The danger of becoming a babbier in- stead of profitable teacher led up to this famous passage upon the tongue One Is sometimes tempted to send marked copy of this letter by James to some of our present-day distinguished college professors, who are as prone as the early Christian converts to speak unadvisediy with their lips.
 The Tameless Member.
 The bridle, the ships rudder, the fre, pioyed as figures by James to indicate the potsntiality of the tongue. He gives his pen full license to depict the seriousness of the tongues offend- ing. There is not sin or crime that mars the fair page of human en- deayor that may not spring from the unbridled tongue. Anacharsis' said that "the tongue Is. at the same time. the best part of man and his worst; useful, and without 1t, none is more rnischievous" Justin carried the thought farther when he said: By examining the tongue of a patient, the physicians find out the disease Of the body; and philosophers the disease of the mind"
 A simple method of getting at pres ent-day social conditions--rnuch sim pier than to read the numerous vol tunes on sociology that are streaming from the press--is to take ones ears to any place where men and women toregather. and simply listen. On the highways. in public conveyances, where persons are gathered socially, listen to the nature of the snatches of con- wensation that come unintended yo your ears. So much of the talk ia friv- olous and empty and siangy and thoughtless and gossipy that person wonders where to look for words of soberness and discretion. If the com mon talk that one overhears is 6 fair indication of the thinking of the time, there is need for printing this para graph from James's ancient letter in display type upon the front page or every newspaper of the land, For the evils which James saw in old JeYusa- lem are affiicting modern Americans to even an exaggerated degree.
 The Good PeEson's Falling.
 The highly rorrGet refson, ,swfho would be horrified at the. thought of huri- ing a stone through plate glass win dow, often does not hesitate, to send a ruinous sentence smashing into q neighbor's reputation. There Is the gravest danger that Christians who stand appalled, at the grosser sins. will yet give full play to the more tnturt- ous offences of the tongue. It Is a much less serious matter to get into