The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-01
MR., IKE'S VIEWS OF HONESTY
HE DISCOVERS TWO VARIETIES OF THE
DESIRABLE COMMODITY.

i DESIRABLE COMMOUliI.
Honesty is n Principle to be Most
Highly PrizeGl---The Plan of Civ
ing Security Commended--Dcfau t.
Ing Debtors Duly Dealt With---
what Should be Done With Preach
ers Who do Not Pay-..Editors Who
PublisI, swindIing advertisements
Should be Made to Refunti---Law-
ycrs Who Aid Their Clients In
Cheating Justice Should be Made
to Suffer.
Editor Press and Banner:
This is the first time that a quorum Of my
club has met since the shakc up, and Tonight
1t has met to cogitatc on honesty
There are, rs the club understands the thco-
ry of honesty, two qualities Of the article.
One proceeds from principle, ana the othcr
! from policy. There are but few examples ol
the first while the latter Is more abundant.
When man Is made Of the first, he Is said to
bo the noblest, II not the rarcst, work o: Goh.
Diogencs, an old Grecian philosopher, under,
dertook to find one in Greece, at no noonaay on lay
first quality breathed electric lights they
could not be seen in this age. The men OF
| this age are too afraid Of cheating themselves
to give others all that is their due IN every
particular or in other words there is a ne pMV
ultra in their honesty, or a point beyond
y which they can nOG go. Honesty In llghf, IN
in anger IN health, in sickness, In wealth, IN
poverty, In happiness and lD distress, Is rare
jewel
From some wise purpose unknown to this
club the great Creator made put few OF tmis
Impossible for 1t or any other man beneath
the sun to reconstruct men and make them
perfectly honest In principle. # 1t were
deemed possible for the club to do such q
thing. it would be proud to undertake the job,
but the capacity of this club, although IN its
own opinion Is enormous, has limit, point
beyond which it can not go, and to make hon
est men Is beyond that point.
Honesty from policy, as before stated, Is
some times found among men, and ii Is claim
ed by some good and wise men that honesty
is the best policy, while others deny the truth
OF the proposition, and this Is the question
my club has concluded to ventilatc tonight,
and after muturcly considering 1t, to decide
: honesty, If 1t can be done In such way that
it will not rub off, and leave the rascality
sticking out, or to let them go on in tnelr un-
vanished dishonesty.
Now, sir, assuming that all men may be GAL
vnnizcd with honesty in such manner as TO
| he made pass for honest men, and to answer
tho purpose OF honest men, and IN that way
| he an honor to themselves ana irlenus, ana
| realizing the eimpOsSiblity of making genuine
honest men, this club, consisting of myself,
has come to the conclusion that the best thing
that can be done by human agency, Is to at
| leust white wash all men with honesty, ana rs
| far as possible to cover up all the hidcous &c.
fccts of dishonesty In their construction, and
| to make them ornamental as well rs useful
members OF society. although II would not be
honest in principle to pass off such men as
honest. IL would be a good policy to make
| them answer the purpose OF honest men. ana
| If we can succeed then our end VIII he accom-
pliShcd. The question to be determined IS
| how to tranSmOgraphy n dishonest man, and
make him 10 all intents and purposes answer
| for an honest man. The law.makcr OF the
universe from the year one till me present
day have been trying to accomplish thlS pur-
pose, and to succeed In II would be the nob!cs.
| work Of man.
The leaders Of the religious denominations
claim that it is their design to- make men hct
| honestly, but they ton have fallen far snort OF
| the MARI. ANA in many instances SEND out
blind leaders OF The blind, and they all filll to,
gethcr In the quickSan dis of dishonesty, ana
| soil their robes in the mud of unclean things.
| II has come to the knowledge OF this ciGD that
an eminent divine who has done much to nm
| furl and spread the banner OF his religion IN
this county, has actunlly declined TO give ms
note for nm honest debt long past due. " hat
can be expected of q flock thut inhbe nom
csty from snch q fountain head? Now, hlr.
| Ike, the sole member Of this club believes
This 10 he wrong. Preachers shoul pay tnclr
debts AT least by note and Lawmakers should
refuse brides and organize into clubs of one,
aud go to work To make men act honestly,
und begin the operation first on The member
of their own club, ard then on their neigh
borS and friends, and then on MANKIND IN
general, and though It may be as hard To re-
| move dishonesty rs to wash tho spots from
the leopard, VIC can white wash nnd naihl
them over in such a way MS to hide INC ue-
| foruity and to remove the entire creature.
| Editors, too. should take hand III this en,
trrprise ard spare some of their space ana
brains in the cause, even If they shou'u nave
to refuse some GOOD Gaying@ @ M %
what shall I say of them, or 10 them? If we
should succeed in or undertaking 1t would
| ruin The profession, as we would nave no neeo
OF them, My friends, fear we Will need yoll
yet for many days, to defend the innocent ana
| 10 convict the criminals; you, too, should join
us and refuse to defend dishonesty, even II
you di! lose some pood ices by SO noimS: -,
honestly, or aus DR.. Franklin expresses II, i0r
an empty meal sack to stand straight, ana,
therefore, sincerely desire all men to be rich,
aud especially the member OF my club, as he
is to he the ring leader In this matter.
There are two p!ansu of making men act hor-
cStly, that are as different from each other aS
the cast is from tho west. he advocates OF
one Of these plans say to make men act non
cSlly they Should be trusted solely on their
honor, and they should have no other ~:
straint imposed on them, To secure lailnlul
performance OF duty or oblisa'lon. Ihnt .S;
you should lend q man your money OF. SCH
| him your goods ON honor. and II he lallS to
pay, sou should trust hin no more, nut Lei
| him hunt up somebody else to experiment on
| OF him. The member of this club has no Eith
in this plan. and Is unwilling TO invest the
funds OF the club in an experiment OF tliat
sort, though he has no serious objection TO he
ing cXpcrimcu ted on, If any one should be dc.
| sirous of trying the plan.
| The other plan Is 10 trust no one that can
not give good and perfect security ior all ne Is
| trusted with. A great many people are COM
| PEELED To- have things that they can not give
| perfect security for, AMI tt tllcy can not get
item honestly they arccomrclled loEet thcm
some how elSc and in that way good many
would be forced to act dishonesty, besides
great many could not develop their honesty
fer tho want of an opportunity. IL no one
would trust them unless they could give per.
feet security, and They could not give perfect
security, they would he compelled to either
deny themselves the opportunity of success
o. riSreprcscnt their security. II people can
not get things honestly they WEI get them
some other way. Necessity knows no la'r.
hence the trouble Of making Il rule that VIII
work on either of these plans. :,
! In nature ali things work in circles, ana all
extremes meet so IL must be In human laws
They must curve To suit the emergency OF the
, clsc, aud their ends must meet in circles, So
as to crcnnscrihc all men VI bonds OF equity
anh usefulness and make them rcvolve and
Slnu in the rays Of honesty and rcctitudr
You must mix mercy and ] lSticc. love ana
chaSl iSpmcnt. You must love those you chaS
tisc, and claslise those you love. You must
help the weak, and require the weak To Use
what strength they have. Raise up the low;
or at least give them Il chance 10 rise, and
bring down the high.
Therefore the best plan to develop and
mainl;in honesty, is hy union OF these plans
curity, and more required to- giru perfect Sc
curity; while nut few can gtve perfect Srcur-
ity, all can give .sGnic s. cilrity. If he has
nothing else, let him pledge his future pros:
poets and he required to keep his pledge, ana
if he succeeds he will in time have other col
luIturuIs t, piyp If lc EniiS then he must he