Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-10-28
On the Origin of Liars.

gives us "a startling sensational discourse
on "Lying as a Science" His standpoint
is that of the old diabolism, which taught
that the realm of Nature belongs to the
prince of powers of the air, who is also
the father of lies. He consequently lays
it down as an axiom, that imam is born a
liar; the child must be taught to speak the
truth"
Now, we think that, in making this
statement, the writer is availing himself
very freely of the birthright he claims,
and which has not been much damaged by
his teachers; his proposition is exactly
the reverse of the truth. For man, as
fasifier, Nature is not responsible he is
not born liar but becomes so by educa.
ton. Truth is natural to children; lying
is an artificial acquisition. To say that
children are natural and spontaneous liars,
and truthful only as they are taught, is to
libel the deCenccless for the cowardly pur-
pose of escaping the responsibility Of
their ethical miscducation.
How we are born, is undoubtedly a
great and very important thing; and the
congenital factor in our nature is q far
more potential and determining element
in our destiny than it has been generally
regarded. But it Is easily misinterpreted
and turned to mischevous ends. We UNI
questionably inherit predspositions, but,
unless the organism is warped far out Of
the normal lines into morbid extremes, it
is amenable to educational control 1t is
common to say that men are born MUS
clans, poets, or mathematiCians- this
is loose language they are only born
with varying apttudes in these directions.
1t is, after all, culture and not Nature that
makes the musician, the poet, and the
mathematician. SO children are undOubt-
edly born with unequal moral capacities,
but it is culture and not Nature that de-
velops these capacities
But it not is in this limited sense that the
Temple Bar writer is to be understood. He
does not say that some men are born with
genius for lying, but that all men are
born liars, or in other words, that the rea-
son why men lie is because Nature inn
planted the radical propensity to it in
mans organic constitution. Let us see if
Nature cannot be vindcated from this as
persion, and if the responsibility does not
rest elsewhere.
The child at birth is simply little bun
lie of latent ssbities-physical in
telIectual, and moral While yet il can
neither speak nor think, it certainly can.
not lie. Thus far Nature is acquitted.
There is simplyno evidence that the facile
and full-blown liar of manhood is the nor,
nal outcome of prenatal determination.
The hypothesis is gratuitous; and what
we have at last is simply the assertion that
lying proponsties are the first develop.
ments OF childhood.
But we are not without Il further and
decisive clew to Natures intention. Edu.
cation is far from being entirly an affair
of art. 1t so happens, and fortunately for
the race, that Nature is our first teacher
Far from resigning her charge when she
he's ushered the little being into the world,
she then commences to teach it, and car
ries the mental and moral development
much farther than people generally
imagine before art begins to interfere /;
and what is her policy While mt birth
the power of thinking is at zero, because
there is nothing to think about, the senses
which furnish something to think about
are complete and perfect for action from
the first. The basis of mind is laid in the
intercourse of the new born infant with
the world around IT, Mental unfolding
thus begins in experience, and an expert
cncc which deals solely with the truth of
things The senses give faithful represent.
ations OF external objects; otherwise the
universe would be II swindle, thought a
cheat and life u failure, The eve teStifes
TO the truth of appearances, the ear to the
truth OF sounds, while touch, taste, and
smell, give truthful reports of the
objects TO which they are related.
Impressions are, no doubt, at first
vague and indefinite, and, from their i'm.
perfection, are often erroneous But the
error is incidental to the schcme-its shad.
ow, as one might say--and is induitesimal
IN proportion 20 the ruth, while the whole
tendency OF things is toward its constant
correction. The child's mind, beginning
with blank capacities, is thus slowly built
upasau internal representation of outward
things; the fundamental Characteristic o
that representation being Aithtuness ant
reliability. The very essence and dedni
ton Of truth is fGiiR Of representation
and this is the principle which is strict,
and constantly conlormcd to in those earll
buttons of experience which determin,
the first stages Of mental growth
But there's also. in these early cXpcri
enceS a definite code of moral discipline
which has It's roots equally in the truth o
things Long before the teacher comes on
to the scene with his moral maXims. n,
child has taken elaborate and ctlectW,
lessons in matters OF rightand wroNg. |
has learned to link conduct to its con
sequences, and to guide lis actions accord
ingly. BY its experimental dealings Will
surrounding objects, resulting in numerou
falls, bumps, cuts, decorations, hurnings
and scaldings, ii Is taught to direct it
movements SO as 10 avoid the evil conse