The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-03-10

Confucius said that the world could
not get on without truthfulness. 1t was
the most unfortunate error into which
he was ever betrayed. Viewed in the
light of to-day, 1t stamps him as a1eebla-
minded old fogy. Couid he take out his
naturalization papers as q citizen OF
this great republic to-day, he would see
that the world not only does get on with
out tfuthtulness, but would apparently
oome to dead halt with it. He would
see state OF society in which lying is
the fixed habit OF men, their normal mode
OF utterance, their first thought, and in
which truth-telling is a dissipation re-
served tor rare moments, involving an
exercise oil the will and the reversal OF
the ordinary machinery oil morals. The
old expressive insult, "you lie |" has lost
it's force and passed out oil use. 1t would
be the mere expression Of truism. Or
course you lie. Everybody. lies. "You
speak the truth" would be remark
much more calculated to attract invidi-
Gus attention and disagreeable notice.
Why is this SO, and how long since?
Lying was originally regarded as q
children's vice, and has now come to be
the adults virtue. We expect children
to lie, and teach them TO speak the truth
by flogging. 1t is a woman's vice, too.
1t is necessary to easy movement Of so
ciety. The house-mistress is ''n0t in, -
or mot WE'LL" when the unwelcome
guest is at the door. This kind of lying
is called tiDbing, and is a necessary in
gredient OF politeness. Itis when tibbing
is engrafted from politeness into politics
and business that it becomes-we will
not say wicked, but disturbing element.
Ii is no worse than some other national
sins we have had.
Men no longer cane each others brain
out on the fioor of Congress. Under the
poets philosophy, we suppose it is bet
never TO have lived at all. The Nortn
ana South now lie in harmony. The lion
and the lamb lie together. AS hate went
out. lying came in. Ii was war staple.
Like emancipation, it was a military
necessity. Ihe unparalleled activity OF
internal aud external diplomacy, which
is lying politely expressed, and OF cor
ruption, which is the profit OF lying,
fixed upon us this sin as habit, grow
ing like inlemperance with its hold upon
the system, u disease, a th0rough-goIng
epidemic. Men who once told men tibs
now swear falsely. Men who were once
expected to tell the truth now
tell ibis, halI-truths, indulge In
necessary denials OF truth, fair TO the
ear but trail under crosse examination,
fabricate diplomatic letters or nicely
jointed falsities in the hope they will
pass for truth, and, rather than see their
work fail, bodily utter perjuries OF the
gravest character. We see business
firms OF the highest character swearing
TO false involces; public officers, local,
State and federal, placing their sigma
ures to vouchers they themselves have
falsitied; newspapers boasting ot fase
ciroulations to cheat advertisers; judges
and lawyers exerting their high func-
tions and abilities to bolster the cause or
untruth; respectable attorneys lying TO
committees OF Congress with the utmos s t
freedom and without the slightest call
thereto.
1t is live issue. aGod in the consti-
tuition" or among the people is a vain
achievement, Till we secure true recog-
milton OF the Decalogue. "Thou shalt
not lfe1 10 the first plank to be laid
down In the platform OF our political
parties. Wedpubt Ii II would secure "a
show OF hands. What section OF the
country would be interested TO s'put 1T
In, y or what statssman 70 have his name