Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-05-22
yW,LLiAM FOx PRODUCTION


hatred, revenge, added to the above
fundamental character, often prompt
men and women to say, to invent, or
to repeat all manner of accusations,
slanders, gossips, or evil reports
against any one who happens to be
the victim. Such talk, then, is sim
ply the means Of indulging their own
evil impulses. 1t is the same law
that impels the libertine to indulge
his passion, or the drunkard to drink,
the thief to steal, or the murderer to
kill. In each and every case it is the
evil impulse in the individual which
impels him to give expression to evil.
Out of the corrupt heart comes forth
corruption. The soul which, is filled
with all manner of mental and moral
filth seeks every opportunity to pour
it out onto others. This is the law
by which disease spreads. Gossips
and scandalmongers are like swarms
of flies which have fed upon the filth
of typhoid excreta and then1carry it
forthwith to the next house where
they can find a window open. And
the door of every house in the land
should be more rigidly closed to all
gossips and peddlers of evil report,
than we close our doors and windows
to disease-laden flies.
Shall / define a gossip, chronic
fault-finder? 1t is an individual
whose moral nature is perverted, who
loves filth as his mental food, and
who seeks to pour out his accumulat-
ed and communicating much into the
sweet streams of human thought all
about him. He is the moral leper OF
society. He is the perpetual menace
of mankind. Let me here declare
with all the firm conviction of my
soul that any one who tells an evil
tale of another, who peddles that
which Injuries another's good name,
is guilty of a worse crime than muir
der, is more deadly menace to So
ciety than all the dreaded evils OF
intoxicating drinks and opium, and
is lower in the social and moral scale
than the common prostitute. Such a
person stabs the innocent in the back,
robs them of their good name, turns
their neighbors and friends against
them, and often sends them into the
world helpless and ruined for life.
Sometimes nothing but death can re-
pair the terrible ravages of this vile
and merciless enemy of human life
and happiness.
Some who read this will ask, "Are
we, then, never to mention any of
the weaknesses OF character and the
glaring misconduct of which we know
personally? Are we never to speak
of bad men and their dark deeds?"
In reply, let me ask, Why do yon
want to speak Of them? Frankly,
what can be your purpose in repeat
ing such things? If you will but ex-
anime your innermost motives, your
secret impulses, you will doubtless
decide that your only reason for re-
peating anything evil of another is,
in practically every instance, to graf
ify some unworthy impulse of your
own.
There are just two conditions, and
only two, under which one may be
morally justified in repeating any
thing which could be construed to
reflect discredit upon another per-
sons character, motive, or conduct.
What are these two conditions? Note
/. When required to do so in a
court of justice.
2. When it becomes necessary to
do so in order to warn and protect
the innocent. And in this latter case
the matter must be presented only to
the parties Immediately in danger,
or to their guardians and legal pro-
tectors. Not to the public in gen.
eral.
Even in both these cases one has no
right to speak unless he has the facts
before him and knows with absolute
certainty the truth Of every word he
utters. t-s
hope to live to see state and ma
tional laws enacted that will make 1t
q penitentiary crime, equal to that
Of highway robbery, for any person
to utter one word against another