Year: 1873

The Popular Capacity for Scandal.


One of the most saddening and
humiliating exhibitions which human
nature ever makes of itself, is in its
greedy credulity touching all reports
OF the mlsdemeanors Of good men. Ii
man stands high as moral force in
the community ; il he stands AS the re-
buker and denouncer of social and po-
litical sin; if he be looked up to by
any considerable number of people as
an example of virtue; if the whole
power of his life be in y high and pure
direction If his personality and in
nuence render any allegation against
his character most improbable, then
most readily does any such allegation
Ind eager believers. 1t matters not
from what source the slander NAV
come. Multitudes will be influenced
by report against good man 5
character from one who would not be
believed under oath in any matter in
volving the pecuniary interest of fifty
cents. The slanderer may be notori-
ously base-mav be panderer to the
worst passions and the lowest vices
may be shameless sinner against
social virtue-may be notorious liar,
. drunkard, hbertine or a harlot- :
all this matters nothing. The engine
that throws the mud is not regarded.
The white object at which the foul
discharges are aimed is only seen, and
the delight of the 5y-standers and
iookers-on is measured by the success
Of the stain sought to be inflicted.


As between the worldling and the
man who processes to be guided and
controlled by Christian motives, all this
Is natural enough. The man bound
up in his selfish and sensual delights,
who sees Christian fall, or hears the
report that he has fallen, is naturally
comforted that after all, men are alike
| that no one of them, no matter how
much he may profess, is better than
another. 1t is quite essential to his
comfort that he cherish and fortify
himself in this conviction. So, when
any great scandal arises in quarters
where he has found himself and his
| course of life condemned, he listens
| with ready cars and is Enthusiastically
glad. We say this is natural, however
base and malignant it may be; but
when people reputed good-nay, peo-
pie protesting to be Christians-shrug
their virtuous shoulders and shake
their feeble heads, while foul scandal
touches vitally the character OF one OF
their own number, and MANAGES the
extingulshment Of an influence, higher
or humber. by which the world is
made better, we hang our heads with
7 shame, or raise them with Indignation.
! IT such thing rs this is natural, it
proves just one thing, viz, that these
men are hypocrites. There is no man,
| CHRISTIAN or Pagan, who can rejoice
IN the falntest degree over the fall OF
any other man from rectitude, without
being scamp at heart. All this readi-
ness TO believe evil OF others, especial
" of those who have been reputed to
be eminently good, is an evidence of
conscious proclivity to vice that finds
| comfort in eminent companionship.


There is no better test of purity and
true goodness than reluctance TO think
evil of ones neighbor, and utter inca
pacity to believe an evil report against
good men except upon the most trust
worthy testimony. Alas, that this
large and lovely charity is SO rare.
But it is only with those who possess
this charity that men accused of sins
against society have an equal chance
with those accused, under the forms OF
/ law, of crime. Every man brought 10
trial for crime is presumed to be in
nocent until he is proved guilty; but
with the worl', ut large. every man
slandered is presumed TO be guilty un-
| til he proves himself innocent, and
even then 1t takes the liberty of doubt
ing the testimony. Every man who
rcjoices in scandal thereby advertises
the fact of his own untrustworthiness.
and every man who is panied by it
and refuses to be impressed by it un-
consciously Y reveals his own purity. He
cannot believe bad thing done by one
whom he regards as a good man, sim
ply because i,e knows he would not do
it himself. He gives credit to others
for that virtue which is unconsciously
III his own possession, while the base
men around him, whether Christian in
name or not, withhold that credit be-
cause they cannot believe in the exis-
tence of 4 virtue of which thev are
consciously empty. When the Master
uttered the words, "Iet him that is
without sin among you first cast "a
stone at her." he knew that none but
conscious delinquents would have the
disposition to do SO !; and when, under
this rebuke, every fierce accuser retired
overwhelmed, He, the sinless, wrote
the woman's crime in the sand for
heavenly rains to efface. If He could
do this in case of guilt not disputed,
it certainly becomes his followers to
stand together around every one of
their number whom malice or revenge
assails with slander to which his or her
whole life gives the lie.


In world full of influences and
tendencies to evil, where every good
force is needed and needs to be jeal-
ously cherished and guarded, there is
no choicer treasure and no more bene-
ficient power than q sound character.


This is not only the highest result
of all the best forces of our civiliza-
ton, but it is the builder Of those
forces in society and the State. So
ciety cannot afford to have it wasted
or destroyed; and its instinct of self.
preservation demands that this shall
not be suffered. There is nothing so
sensitive and nothing SO sacred as
character and every tender charity,
and loyal friendship, and chivalrous