Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-09-30

ohtCicu d newspaper OulCe, 10 eA-
change news items with the local ed
itor, and as she leaned back against
the counter, a slip of paper which has
paste on it stuck to her back. From
here she went down the street, in and
out OF the stores, creating a hearty
laugh wherever she went. Upon
reaching home she asked her husband
If there was anything on her back
that ought not be there. 81 see moth
ing inappropriate" was his reply, and
then he had his laugh That slip of
paper on her back contained the
front page head line Daily News"
You have some feminine "daliies" in
this town whose favorite song is ooh
for thousand tongues to sing" when
bless you, they have slandered every
body in a radius of ten miles with
the one they have. What would they
do with thousand such tongues?
| do not mean to be unfair to the
ladies, | suppose you have some mas
culine gossipers here who do all their
thinking between their chin and their
nose and / would not give much for
their religion. Gossipers are the SOC
ial sewerage system of town.
We have false philosophy in
America. We agree that a mans first
and highest right is the right to live.
The last thing we ask a man to give
as price for the crime which he
commits is to forfeit his life. We are
all agreed that his second right is
the right of existence but that he is
to be free from the shackels of slav-
cry. The second highest price we
ask man to pay for his crime, Is to
forfeit his liberty. But when we ap-
proach mans third moral right we
come to the parting of the ways. We
may deny ii in sentiment. but nine
tenths of the people practice it in
fact. that mans third moral right
is the right of ownership. That he
is not only entitled to life and liber-
ty, but that he is 10 have that which
he can call his own, that which ma
terially represents his industry and
economy. tell you 1t Is teaching of
Gods book that ownership is the
fourth and not the third moral right
of man.
Our fathers in draughting the dec
laration of American Independence
said, I'VE hold these truths to be
self evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain inalien-
able rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit Of
Happiness" Did they mean by the
pursuit of happiness the right of own
ership only? Did they mean by the
pursuit of ownership the right of
Ownership primarily. Certainly not,
for we agree with Shakespeare,
''Who steals my purse. steals trash.
But he, that filches from me my good
| name. -
Robs me of that, which not enriches
| him.
And makes me poor indeed"
This same truth is expressed by
Solomon in these words, "A good
name is rather to be chosen than
great riches" From this we see that
in addition to life and liberty, mans
third moral right is that he should
be rightly reported. Yes, mans third
moral right is to have good name.
And the man or woman who deliber-
ately goes out and circulates a false
report that reflects upon your repu-
tation and character Is greater
thief than the man who steals your
horse from the barn while you sleep.
If man steals my horse l can re-
place him by another but il he robs
me of my good name. he has killed
my influence for good and has the
whole of my working capital. SANDER
and gossip are the DEVILS big guns.
He seldom takes the life of Gods
servants or deprives them of their
liberty, as in former days, but his
chief battering ram now IS lying
tongue. | tell you the tale bearer
is worse than thief.
Free speech is precious right, and
so is free action. But the tongue
has no more right than the hand to
abuse its freedom. II is loose at one
end and can swing either way but
il is fastened at the other end and
that makes you responsible for the
way il wags. Nature indicates that
the tongue is dangerous thing by
setting IL in vault provided with
double shutters, first by barricade
of teeth and then the door of the
lips. In the epistle by James We
read. III any man offend not in
word, the same is perfect man. 7"
While Paul calls these gossip ped
dlers 'Whisperers. And Solomon
says, "A whisperer separateth chief
friends" They begin by saying,
''Did you hear the story about the
preacher" mo. what is it," 1--WE
are trying to keep it a secret. will
tell you but you keep it secret.
will tell you but you must not tell
any body else" These whisperers al
ways have some secret which they
Lob, a oil I IN
the reason ii you should tell it they
would not get to be first with the
news to the ears of others. One Of
these whisperers was charged with
not being able to keep secret, and
he replied, II could keep it all right,
but the person l told couldn't"
If you belong to the whispering
club" don't class yourself man
much less Christian. A full blood
ed gossip whisperer is so small that
you cannot touch him with the fine
tooth comb of the law. l don't care
what kind of a profession you make
If you don't walk right and talk
right you belong to the devil. The
only hope in the world for gossiper
to gain heaven is for him to repent
of his sin and meet Jesus at the
cross. May the spirit Of God con-
vict all the backslidden gossiping
church members in this town of their
sin and lead them to repentance.
III-HIs HEART
HE that despiseth the gain of OPP
pressions." This does mean legiti-
mate gain. This is proven by the
teaching of the parallels of the
pounds and talents. - God places a
premium on industry and commends
one for legitimate gain. And when
he gives a standard by which we are