Fair play., 1872-11-28
Honesty and Policy.

~ VI w.. i''A.N' - -
really does pay better than dishon-
csty, and experience proves it-why
are we such q scuryy set of fellows
il .his world, everybody trying to
cheat everybody else: If honesty
he tie best policy, why did the early
mil.sman stop so long at the pump
rouad the corner! Why does the
grocer sand the sugar! Why does
II. shoemaker halt:so!e my shoes
with rasseboard? Why does the
harbcria-her snip off thumbnaiI> :
trcadth at each e..d ot my yard:
shy does 10, the tailor send home
the pieces? Why does the farmer
,.at the best potatoes on the t"p Of
;ie barrel, Why DO Industrious
money gc,ters sweat and clip coins !?
Why is the pure Madeira half poor
brandy? Why did the newstoy sell
me last week Gazette for this morn
ing's Journal Why does the Hon.
Timothy PopcoclS :erven,ly demand
reform when he means a place liz the
Custom House? Or why, indeed,
does Tom Idle lie in bed and lounge
and swear and gamble, if it is SO
plain as to be an axiom that those
courses will carry him to Tyburn?
sit upon u bench in the park and
watch the beautiful carriages rolling
by. There goes noble chariot with
supurb horses, and a coachman and
footmen in the most gorgeous and
plushiest Of liveries. The gentleman
who sits in it, erect and severe as one
of the cardinal virtues, escaped the
State Prison because Of some defect
in the indictment, some on:!awry of
time, or some bribe to a juror. The !
difference between this prosperous
gentleman and the pickpockct who /
was committed for three months.
yesterday, is that the occupant of the !
noble chariot is more accomplished
and successful swinder. | can fan
cy him saying, with contempt, to the
miserable pickpockct who was
caught in the act: "You disgrace tie
profession And there, dragging
himself along in the dust ofthc char
lot wheels, is a Worn, weary, anxious
soul, who has never c"nsciousl "
wronged = mortal, and whom an ac-
count Of his that will not balance,
though it be but cents difference,
soroIy Troubles and tries. He is as
honest, Industrious, steady, iltciIi-
gent, faithful as the sun; and there
he goes, trudging in the dns; behind
kuavery. Honesty is
the best policy; is il quote my cous-
in Jedediah then tell me why these
men don t change places.
Let NY cousin consider. when
he finds sand in his sugar, does he tre
inent the grocer who sold ii 70 Kim :
When the water instantly sO:.!:S
through his new solsS, Goes he scnG;
he Mex; pair OF shoes to that cob!er
And if he knew the man who sold
,nrc coffee instead OF chicory, should
we not buy all OF him, Or does the
Hon. Popcock's eloqience affect any c
being? My cousin Jedediah is
3oet. There is a certain vo!umn
which you have probably never seen,
md about which the papers and mag
.zines were strangely silent, but of
which he has his own opinion. Now !
{ the author had found in some [
lncient and forgotten magazine G 4
,oem which 20 human being could be
to know, and which he I
housht good enough for tha, volumn.
md he had conveyed it into his
,ases unacknowiedged, would be not
nave staked his happiness and his
anne upon = chance Some dav ]
ome other curious eve would li.h,
lpon it, and cousin Jeiediah would be i
'uined. Honesty gives him sclfre-
pect an! peace ofmlnd. Is it no, the
'sst policy !
see The cardinal virtue in bis no.
lie chariot, and acknowledge that al
hough a swipd!er he has prospercd.
But even Jedediah must own that be
: an exception. 1t does not follow
hat honesty is not the best policy be-
ause swindling is sometimes sue
eSstul. If, indeed, the policy CT the
'roft OF honesty. is what makes you
lonest, YOU are not very admirable
haracter. But the pr0verb does not i
'xhort, 1t states, only. You may re Il
inc upon itinietiniicly, as nay cousin
Zoos. You may even say in the
same words of the beauti,udcs that
they offer reward? Very Well:
hen will You not be pure in heart
the promise But in both
instances the truth is the same. The