A man may have no bad habits and have worse. When in doubt, tell the truth. It is more trouble to make a maxim than it is to do right. A dozen direct censures are easier to bear than one morganatic compliment.
Noise proves nothing.
Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she had laid an asteroid. He was as shy as a newspaper is when referring to its own merits. Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it. It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.