Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-02-16
Tie Brutality Of Truth >
N. Y. World.

Not a few of the famous of til,
earth have had greatness thrust up
on them because of their alleged
lruthtulness. Truth-teller. was the
English Alfred called, and truth
lover was the English Duke, while
our own G W. Is rrprcsentcd-i
an anecdote which is apocr. pl,al--;,s
Il man who could not tell lie
though why should IL man be praised
for abstaininS from what he couldn't
accomplish? IT q. w. had been
able to tell II lie and had not told
one, there would be something in it.
This exaggerated value placed upon
the truth is not easily accounted for
The whole fabric of society rests up
on falsehood; remove or shake this
foundation, and ruin, inevitable and
iiretrievable, will ensue. Your liar
is almost invariably an amiable per-
son; none are SO boorish as those
who pretend to an excess of honesty,
which is another name for truth
We have the authority of Burns for
declaring that even ministers have
been "kenned, in holy rapture,
rousing Wild at times to vend, and
nail t wi scripture" But for sys-
tematic lying, what would there re-
main OF the profession OF the law
Doctors do not teli the truth to their
patients except when they are IN &C.
tren.iS, and for the best Of reasons
the truth would kill them. Stetes-
men and dlplomatists make it
fundamental tenet that language was
given to man to conceal his thoughts
and it is u striking commentary on
official human nature that the most
successful of modern ministers,
Prince Won Bismarck, should have
had habitual recourse to the truth Oh
great occasions, not because it was
the truth but because no one would
believe 1t. Even our own profession
cannot claim exemption from false
hood, because are there not canards
and campaign supplements: Que
Wall Street broker will take an
others word for Il million dollars,
but not for 1; single fact. An emf
nent jurist in California affirmed the
other day from his personal expert
ence his personal conviction that
seven witnesse, out of ten lied-and
he didn't tell the truth himself then;
for Dasid's rude but comprehensive
estimate was, perhaps, nearer the
mark. Abraham, it will be remem
bered, falsitied egregiously and Jacob
deliberately The perjurles OF lovers
are proverbiai and lightly esteemed,
and good society in England ruled
ut the time of the Mordaunt trial that
there were circumstances where to
lie was human, not to say divine
Woman, with the fine instincts and
quick perceptions of her sex, is in
nately aud incorriglbly uutruthtul,
bless her deceitful heart!
Whatever is, is right, and this sys-
TEN is SO admirably adapted to the
wants of tallible and false humanity
that to adopt any other, would be to
preclpitate disaster The man who
should set out to tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the
truth, would infalli ,ly be hustled
along 10y no means primrose path
to the everlasting poor house. 1t
may be boldly stated as Il great NOR
al principle that when man asks
you "a question that he has no bus
ll'ess to ask, it is not only your priv
lege, but your duty, to tell MIN Il lie
by way of answer. UntruthtiulnesS
is here a shield against irni crtinence;
il is Sheridan and the cabby over
again. ''You give me Il bad shil-
ling" That's all right, yours is u
bad coach." Upon other occasions,
it is graceful not to tell the truth
brutal not to lie. When,ior instance,
Il young lady of-as Arlenus Ward
would say-betwcen thirty summers
asks archly, "Now, how old do |
look?" who, with the instincts of Il
gentleman, would not do gentle VIC
lence to his conscience, and answer,
"Nineteen?" There are still other
occasions when it is expedient to
torbear the truth. When, for in
stance, on entering i saloon yea are
accoSted by Il lusty and lushy stran-
ger, who invites you to drink, and on
receiving Il mild but decided refusal
dashes his hat on the floor and de-
mauds if your refusal is pre'licated
upon suspicion of his intoxication,
II is not the part OF wisdom, Of mod
GRAFTON Of true courtesy to declare
that John b. Cough was an "awful
example, to him? Behold how
great and good a matter little false
hood promoteth. Shall the trust of
4 young and contidlng woman be
wrecked by insinuating that when
her husband remains down town
late and often it is not 4, the lodge
that he has been? Forbid it, Al
mighty Mercury! Jephtha kept
his word, and see what became of it.
Is not "telling the plain truth" 10 Il
person Il phrase equivalent to abus-
ing him without stint? Whether,
we agree from princi pie Or history, it
is indisputable that the truth is al
most always not to be told. 1t is
always useless, frequently inconven-
lent, ordinarily impolite aud invafia-
bly, lmpolitlc. Then why tell it?
How Senator Nye Vanqulshed Charles
Sumner.