Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-02-16
from tho New York Observer.)
IRENEUS' LETTERS.
Some Things that are Dishonest and
Some that are Not.


Some that are Not.
You ask me n question that requires some
courage and much wisdom to answer. II is not
safe for any one man to say that such and such
things are honest or dishonest, when good and
wise men differ about them. But your inquiry
has led me to look over the whole field OF bust
ness, and perhaps can say something to help
you to n correct decision.
MBAN MAXIM.
The maxim that comes from Cervant0s In Don |
Quxote, Honesty Is the best policy" is doubt
less true but II Is a very mean and unworthy in |
ducemeut tn do right. lie who Is honest because !
II is the best pclcy, because ii Us for his inter-
est to be So would steal or swindle f he thought |
II would pay. Policy is M basis of integrity.
And the maxim has, doubtless, been useful in
this COMMERCIAL age. For II Ia better that men
should be honest from a low motive, than not to
be honest at all.
HONOR AND HONESTY.
The word honor Is the same In the ole Lat'u
with honest in Enlish. For there was a time,
strange as itmay seem, when to be dishonest wa
to be dshonorable, aud he who delrauded Is
neighbor was unable to hold up his head among
gentlemen. Yet this very week the question Is
under discussion in ono Of the most exclusive
clubs ofour city, whether men whom the city has
pronounced dishonest, shall still he permitted to
remain as tn associates and equals Of men u
honor. To such drp'ho d. < a ton has the
public sense of honor and honesty sunk. I'll Q
time was when Mr.. Burke spoke OF that "chasti-
~ Of honor which lelt stain like a wound -
but that time has gone by and there Is no such
sentiment in England, France or the Unitel
States Of the present day. In the days of George
Washington there was ehvalry Of virtue that
would have resented as an insult thu faintest
impu alton Of practices such as public officers
are charged with now, and they do rot think 1t OF
the slight st Importance to deny or to extenunte
the facts. Dishonesty is not as il once was, dis
honorable.
The Governor Of one Of our States said to
high official with whom he was in cuntrov ersy.
Il believe you are the greitest scoundrel In the
Stste." To which tho man replied, "Weii, that
need not interfere with our ,oial relations"
Dishonesty does not disturb the sO,inl relations
Of life as it would ir there were higher sense
OF honor in ih1 public mind and conscience.
PAYING oNg's DEBTS.
To pay ones debts is obviously ons nf the sim
plest dictates OF hunesty. The basis OF all dea'-
ings among men is the expectation that IAN ubli-
CATION to pay will be respected by the debtor.
The credit system in the alyance OF civilization,
scarcely known in barbarous Sta.os, has grown
out of this confidence, and with its growth hIs
come the opportunity aud temptation to be dis
honest. The system is necessary in civIiNio1,
but it has been extended beyond all bounds of
necessity md has dem rallied the country. Tie
man who buys goods on credit, or b1rrnNs mon
Nllunut RNlDR stCnFitf, OF WHO lUunCSS ma
neighbor to be ais en- iOrser, incur5 liability 10
do his neiGhbSr wrong and in many cases the
rashness with which he lpJk the iisk was Grim
inal, aud his failure to ply may justly involve
him in positive dishonesty. Yet very tew m "a
think themselves dishoncs, simply because they
fail to pay their notes when due.
HONESTY IL BANKRUPTCY.
Then comes in a bankrupt law which reieas-
es men from the lsyR obligation 10 pay their
debts a law which in the opinion uf mAiy can
not he moral, because no law should relieve \
man from the obligation to do his moral duty.
Great hardships would result frum the establish
ment Of this doctrine, and it is not at all proba-
Bile that a commercial age like ours will tolerate
the principle but it is true. nevertheless. Great
er hardships result from the bankruptcy itself,
and those who advocate bankrupt laws never
take those evils into account. But men who 60
into business, incur liabilities and make prninis
es to pay, ought to have the con sci InsnIs5 that
no law OF God or man will ever let them escape
from the positive and perpetual obligation to pay
their debt to the utermost far:hilg. It may
require toll and care and economy and fasting
and suffering but no honest man will ever inn
ugine that bankrupt law has taken off from his
soul one straw'S weight of duty tO pay principal
and interest, every cent he owes.
PUTTING PROPERTY INTO YOUR wIFE's uASDs.
There are many ways in which men avoid pay
ing their debts, which will not bear the test Of
honest investigation. Many man fails in busi-
ness. aud when his credltIrs came upon him for
the pr,,. ertY which surrounded him, it is sud
deuly discovered that tis reputation for wealth
was built upon the pos. N'Siua of splendid house
and grounds which ha had nls te OYER ~ his wiIe
He had been trusted because he w.s snfnHSed
to be rich Bu, his riches were false prvsences
His wife was rich, and under our laws, whlUs
are far more favorable to women thln to m,n 1,
she holds tho wealth, anil the creditors are de-
frap ad Tn nutn ;uf Ia tau IA
of another, so to save it from the liabilities Of
business, and then TO DO business on the strength
Of that property, is not honest in the sight uf God
or good men. Bnt there Is n vast deal of wro z
doing in every commercial community, and il is
not unlikely that the m ist Of m,n Will dissent
from my position that this is positively wrong.
The wrong lies in cOncealing the fact that III. as
signment has bgen made, AMI continuing to de-
mand anl r5ceivG ;et,t on h,lictiouJ btsi3 :.
KvADISG TAxEs.
The subtefuges to which m,n resort II evade
the pa meut Of their debts, are better known 10
men Of the world than to others but some Of
these ways and means ATE so cnmnoD that they
have aim 'st ceased to be looked upon as disbon-
est Probably few men have scruples that pre-
vent them from evsding taxes If they can. II is
no, the duty OF citizen Aput himself IN the way
of the assessor, and it is very true that, In our
city and in mnst cities. ,srssments are made
with great partially But the wrong doing Of
bIlGihls uoeS NOt hUSNiNe tue CHlLen from MS
obligation to tell the truth. The c0ncealment
ofpropecty, and giving deceptive answers, are
just AS dishonest when designed to evade gov
ernment tax. as when made to an individual I,
escape the payment of an ordinary debt. The
incnme tax, perpetuated without usice or ex.
pediency,is is an odious and demoralizing imposi-
ti0n upon the person; but he who makes an un-
truthful or partial return of bis incOme, to es-
cape his full measure of taxation, is not honest
and cannot keep good conscience in the sight
Of God.
sMUGoLINd.
The custom house is an institution which
many hope Christianity uf another generation
will utterly abolish but while it exists rs part
OF the political economy under which we live, e.
deisaul the customs is Just as wicked as h.
swindle ones neighbnr. The temptation is
strong 10 smuggle, AMI false swearing abnnnis
whore e. DDS are subjected to lhe duties of impor-
tation. BIT il is not right - it is positive wrong
to conceal the truth or to make nh errnneoG'
representation regarding the nature or yaldFoi
anything which is brought into port.
VARIOUS FlArrs AND CnRATs
The merchant who sells piece Of goods con
cealing defect and wnrrarting the article to be
sound, the grocer who sells a u'leratei coffee
tea, sugar, &C.; the builder who uses detected
timber or mortar, the mechEnic who sights hi:
work AMI decciVes his customer, the millinrf OI
mantua maker who keeps back the remnants oI
silk, the day l.borer who is idle n len he oaRlt
10 be al his work, the subscriber v no reads q
Newspaper without paying for II, the serygn
who takes n commission Mt the expense OF be
employer, the agent who derives advantage, PEE
cun'ary or Otherwise, not known tn or authorized
by his principal for whom he is doing business
all such men and women are dishonest. Tle'y
may process to be Christians, but they are all
in a bad way. IRESRrs.
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