Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-27
A Lecture on Swearing
Hartford rimss.


"A 20 be delivered before assemblage OF women,
but really IL wasn't az ALL Can you imagine
talk oaths condemnatons. and just plain euss
words given In Center Church House without offense
20 either the living the departed7 Furthermore
can you imagine such a subject being treated with
Charles Lamb-lke with Thaokerayan genteness. sim
plicty, charm. grace ana WITT Well, u was and the
explanation IL that the lecturer on swearing wasn't
stevedore. Dunnon esbhy. sea-can, boss Of
construction gang drill sergeant irate editor;
he Associate Professor Burgess Johnson OF Vssssr
college, and he spoke before the College club OF Hart
ford.
The Everyday Profanity Of our Best People
Prof Johnsons subject and the development OF IL
he said in part:
II am considering Il not as a moral question: II Is
one Of TASTE Of propriety Of education II It were
moral question II would merely be the taking OF the
Of the Deity in vain Not in 1000 who utters
expletive oath has the meaning OF It In his
heart.
The profanity speak Of does not Indicate laxity
OF morals but rather disease of the vocabulary The
Encyclopedia Brttanica osths promises made
under a nonhuman penalty Of sanction As matter
OF fact, that only oner Of the ground oaths
divide themselves into three classes: First the
severatve: second denunciatory; third the inter-
jectionaL There you have your three great groups.
All three have their eounterparts in the everyday
family OF best people. II you asked IL you
went TO church last Sunday you might say. IL You
were Irish, did. begorra; IL you were cockney,
L did selp me- Sir Toby Belch said. 1t TO
pass oft that terrible oath with staggering accent
sharply twanged off. gives appreciation than
proof itself would have earned him
"In the denunciatory group included some great
and worthy oaths Washington facing the TRAITOR Lee
Farragut Drawing the rebel torpedoes examples of
the most righteous outbursts in this class But after
ALL the group IL swerved from a more noble purpose
TO be cheap substitute for deeds II is easier TO dret
q situation than TO face IL.
Now TO the third the interjectional group
with the calculations Jove' gee whiz gosh. 'golIy
,nda Nfoaf 81 thaan
tive denuncatory. but time has away their
sharpness. OF two ancient Romans. watching the
awful performances of Vesuvius. might properly
say % Jove. look into heart and read thoughts
this grandeur. which cannot express. and the
other might call on the Gemlni the heavenly twins
to give like expression TO his unutterable thoughts
But their descendants stand in the place. and
what do they say7 BY Jovel and 'Giminy amt 1t
grandr
Gone are the echolng oaths Of the day when
ing a fine art. by the thlghbone OF ST. Anthony
give way, varlet. spit thee through the gizzard"
fine old phrase. but in these days when auto
matte revolvers hold sway Il is hardly brief enough
there time 10 IT, Gone the eloud-splittng
denunciatons OF those masters OF vituperaton, the
fathers OF the church. When fling out the high
sounding phrases they seem empty and void Of life.
They worked TO death
Gone are the fine old oaths. where7 Their parts
may all be found in the dictionary. You may
the mammoth but he will not rumpet for you.
become substitutes for conversation. Well WE'LL what
does this FRONT It's fit reply important
communication ITS n beautiful day, too. has been
used much substitute for good morning It
| loses all its force. We simply handing you in
place OF conversation draft upon the bank that
be cashed In other words. fill up the gap in the
| conversation until we pay the debt.
! verify. veriy'-what has become OF TIT What
! have done to very to 'trulyr
| The conclusion OF the matter Isl do not argue
for the destruction. but for the conversation pro-
family. would say 70 my son; Young man. you may
have for conversational two damns between now
and Easter What would be the resut7 A trying
situation would come the boy would want 10 use
Of his damns would stop and reflect that greater
emergency might when he would really need IL,
and It would And II Easter morning be
should wake up with the reflection that he still
two damns to the good and might spend them with
damage don't think that either he or the day would
| be harmed by his letting them rip then and there
How would limit the swearing Of your membersl
would say; Madam. between now and the end of
the week will not allow you any 'verys' The effect
on your vocabuiaries would be desirable. the same
category are perfectly lovely goodness gracious and
| oh my /"