New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1918-07-24
SPITE WORK

informers, spies, sneaks and eavesdrop-
pers, telltales and blabbers, rumor-
mongers and maligners, wielders of
poison pens and waggers of scorpion
tongues are in their element just now.
War conditions may have made it
necessary for officials, Federal, State and
municipal, to exhort the public to keep
strict watch on the words, sentiments
and actions of their friends and neigh
bors, to report suspicious circumstances
and doubtful actions. But bids for the
activities of the confidential communi-
cations of addleheads, tips from the
crackbrained, and denunciations from
the shady and ever-latent tribe of
anonymous letter writer's are not inclined
to be productive Of much of value, or
merit or of use. The Inauguration Of
this program is not every encouraging
by reason of it's first fruits.
Spitework does much mischief, makes
trouble, but rarely does permanent harm.
So, after all, spite work is rather less
to be feared and to be discountenanced.
From all accounts, the vast system Of
espionage that has been called into being
is flooding Department of Justice officials,
bureaus, offices of public prosecutors
and blotters of police stations with such
masses of spitework and tittle-tattle
that difficulty is already being ex-
perienced in sitting the wheat of useful
information from the chaff of pure malice.
In good social circles, formerly amiable
old ladies are boasting with gratifed
pride of having secretely denounced
scores of their intimate friends who were
guilty Of indiscrete utterances. Never
were better opportunities presented for
squaring old grudges, revenging ancient
grievances and ''getting hunk with
persons to whom one bore ill-will. There
is veritable craze for getting somebody
Gin wrong.
There was the incident at the afternoon
tea the other day, where the hostess
inserted the silver knife into the choc-
olate-covered layer cake, accompanying
the action with a testing remark about
desiring to perform a similar operation
upon somebody whom she disliked.
Immediately her intimate friend arose
and, with the words, 'You are under
arrest" promptly marched her hostess
to the station house. The infection
spreads. Espionage and denunciation,
reckless, thoughtless, but diverting, have
become a popular pastime.
Young society buds go to district
attorneys with lists of their male ad-
mirers whom they denounce as fit sub
iects to be arrested under the Federal
work-or-fght order and the State anti
loafng laws. Rich young bloods toss
their uneasy heads on their pillows
nightly, fearing that May or Daisy
may denounce them to the police as
loafers. Sporting men leave town in
shoals, hoping to escape the police
dragnet for idlers. Public spirit and
pllVdGS SplCS COIllOlllC w 1ul lA1oA p1OSS-
cutors and police with names of un-
suspecting young and middle-aged men,
who are charged with being rich do
nothings.
In business offices fair stenographers
wait for the departure Of their employer:
to empty waste paper baskets and piece
together the torn scraps of the daily
mail, in the hope Of getting something
on the boss'who was unkind to them tina
morning. Errand boys peek into tn
private messages with which they hav'
been trusted. Even formerly reputabl
old lawyers are obsessed with the spel
of putting something over on friend
) with whom they have fallen out.
Constructive and beneficial enter
: prises are disrupted on the strength Q
= secret communications. Firms are oh
structed in their business routine as
| result of tale-bearing, and bushes
men struggle to escape humiliation 9
7 their prosperity as the result Of informa
, ton lodged against their activities b
onyyiOI1e rivals |&&@s E.- =