Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-22
AeoLIsHlNe THE oosslPs.
Germany Will Adopt Strenuous Meas
ure to Shut of Scandal Moneer.

pears To De 'NerDOten, OrlicldluOfn IL
the person of lone Burgomeister has
at last invaded the most sacred right
OF women--gossip.
| All Germany is looking aSkance M
| the town of Hattersheim. in Hesse, APP
prchcnsive of the widening waves Of
Iauthority that would undertake 10
bride the tongues of the fair.
| As for HatterSheim under its sud
| den afflicted of deterrent law, 1T ap-
pears 10 be getting along very well,
| thank ven, and is enjoying a peace
| and freedom from envies, jealousies
and Dackbitings that no community
has known since human records We're
mixed at the tower of Babel.
Neighbor now greets neighbor with
a peaceable Cute Morgen;" husbands
come home from their business with
lappctites destined to remain unmarried
by recitals of daily quarrels; and
there has been a marked diminution
in the number of alley fights that
have landed their participants in the
local courts.
The spirit OF peace abidcs. because
the mailed fist of "verboton" has come
down with bang on al scandal
naneoring.
The United States. in every village
and city ward, produces its own crop
of retailers OF gossip and maligners of
their neighhors. Where the incomes
are low. the more dignificd move and
the less dignitied are liable to fight
out al the spot. Where the incomes
are greater and litigation appears to
be a luxury not too high for the cost
OF living, the community is diverted
with libel suit. Whatever the
climax of rows, and whatever their be-
ginnines he would be a hardly mayor
OF magistrate indeed who would dare
call to account the whole community.
The common law here has to meet
every individual emergency, from the
aualling of the familiar scold to tha
extremes of two pairs Of black eyes.
But in Germany vested authority
doesn't hesitate TO command peace by
wholesale. On that basis the burgo-
meister of Hatershelm has proceeded,
and he has issued proclamation
that is as full of observation and
philosophy as it is of authority.
Prosecutions for libel and SANDER"
declares the stern burgomeister have
attained of late great proportions in n
certain section OF our city. Bitter
enmities and litigation costs that
amount to heavy financial loses are
among the consequences"
He remarks that the caues is usual
ly the same:
The men are hard at work. while
the women writer away their time in
sossiping and quarreling, the chill
dren's training being neglected and
the household suffering for lack of
care. When the bread winner comes
home and the days events are I'M
truthfullr told to him, he must betake
himself, as the protector of his angry
wife 10 the police OF lawyer or to
the court Of arbitration"
ON such persons, remarks the
burgomeister. the teachings are wasted
which require woman to occupy
herself at her own freside, scorn
acandalnongeIs and seek only to pro-
vide Il comfortable homo for her hus-
band ana her children. There is no
true domestic happiness with them.
Therefore,, concludes the burgo-
meister, solcmnly warning all and
sundry who are offenders. poor relief
will heneeforth be given i'll exceptional
ca-es only where people have involved
themselves in prosecutions for scan
dal. The police. besides havs been
Instructed to compile 4 list Of such
persons ana warn all landlords and
tenants against them"
Thus far no other burgomeister in
Germany has initiated Hattersheim' s
pvepntiNR fIl3iDlt- haaot,cn
novelty of his official course demands
that German conservatism restrain
the dcvouring rush of German author
lily. 1t may happen that, after the
first silence Of astonishment at his
temerity. the good women of Halter
sheim will dispute his right to enforce
the regulations he proposes.
While the power of the burgomeister
is very extensive and can, in emery
oncy. be supplemented with all tbs.
force requisite to make it operative,
the moral force represented by com
munity OF recaleitrant housewives is
something which even Germany's sys-
tenn OF things ''verboten" must pause
before.
And. thus far no man who has lived
mas been able to check the worlds
now Of gossip, in which scandal in
Nariahiy plays 50 large a part Preach
ers have delivered thousands of ser
mons against it. and women them
| selves have organized to compel their
| friends and ncighbors To utter only
| words OF sweetness and light. But,
| somehow or other. envy has always
managed 10 find its way into the coun-
ellis of the most cultured, and backbit
| ing has followed as naturally as the
curl OF scorn pursues the bonnet fresh
from Paris.
! Hattersheim's burgomeister has,
| however, one august ally--the Kaiser
in the general spirit of his homily
and critics of current German affairs
profess to see in the proclamation re-
Gently issued in the obscure little
town in Hesse the emulation by minor
oficialdom of the imperial sermons
defining woman's place in the house
hold.
But even the Kaiser has not had
nerve to try to shut off gossip. II
the Hessian town prove that scandal
l.