Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 179, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1912 — DESTRUCTIVE RESULTS OF WAGGING TONGUES. [ARTICLE]

DESTRUCTIVE RESULTS OF WAGGING TONGUES.

Newspaper Prints Good Sermon About Gossips—Let Him Without Fault Cast the First Stone. Monticello Democrat. “Alas!,. The rarity c& Of Christian charity Under the sun.” A short time ago there appeared in the columns of one of the local papers an item of gossip that gave the enemies of “young man or maiden, old man or him that stoops for age” an opportunity to point the finger of suspicion and direct the slimy tongue of slander—and right well has the opportunity been cultivated. No less than twenty couples have been pointed out either specifically or by innuendo as “the ones meant;” and no doubt others are yet to be slimed over before the serpent tongues become tired of wagging. As it is in all such cases much of this promiscuous gossip has been directed toward persons entirely innocent of wrong doing, and toward others who were at most simply thoughtless and indiscreet, but wholly guiltless of anything morally or criminally wrong; but the pity of it is that this great injustice leaves burning, blistering scars that can never be effaced; and the wonder and amazement to persons “outside the pale” is that much of this heartless, merciless and criminal libelous talk comes from people inside the churches.

We are not saying this to cast any slurs upon the church as an institution, but simply to call the attention of some of these professed Christians to the marked contrast between their professions and their actions. If they would follow the admonition of that Christian Character whom they profess to serve “Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone,” even where guilt is proven, the murkey and agitated waters in the social puddle would soon become clear and calm. Much more should we exercise Christian charity and refrain from shying stones where only suspicion points or venemous slander directs. Remember that: “Who steals my purse steals trash, But he who filches from me my good name Takes that which naught enriches him But leaves me poor indeed.”

And if a Christian regard for the reputation of others will not deter one from becoming an assasin of character, it might be well to remember that those who are versed in the ways of the world know that the guilty often join in with the mob and yell “Stop thief” the loudest in order to turn suspicion from themselves.