The Portland daily press., 1890-08-23
POPULAR WHITE LIES.
ExcusabIe Whoppers Told In sverS
Circle of Life.
Tst. Louis Globe Despatch

Truth cru6neu W cain 49, ~ i
again" "Tell the truth and shame the
devil" sTruth is mighty and Will pre-
vail and hundred other catchy say
mos most of them plainly lies them
selves have been familiar to the world
for something over thousand years,
during which time nobody ever even
ATTEMPTED to live up to them. True, the
early martyrs suffered death ''for truths
sake" as those who lived after gave out,
though it has since been suspected that
had they not firmly believed that the
shortest and safest road to heaven lay
through martyrdom the mortality would
never have been so great and even might
not have existed at all.
Truth has so often masqueraded in
the guise of falsehood that at length she
has few friends sincere enough to make
themselves disliked for her sake. Does
not the world readily excuse him who
lies to save his own life or reputation so
long as his lie does not injure another?
Does not a lie told to screen guilty per-
son often rise to the height of positive
virtue? Indeed, perjury is expected as
~
the bar,of justice, and % man who swears
falsely that he is the guilty one instead
of his brother, his son or his friend be-
comes a hero at once. What is done in
a law court under solemn oath is done
every day in endless variety in the world
of business, society and pleasure.
LIES DEFINED.
Among the several distinct species of
lies now in vogue, some of which serve
to make the world run smoothly and
others to cause vexation and trouble,
the society lie, upon which all human
intercourse is, founded, is first and fore
most. The ability to handle this lie par
takes of the nature of special gift, and
he or she who possesses it to a marked
degree is envied by the less fortunate.
1t is euphoniously called 'Ftact," and it
consists in making the deceived person
feel at ease with himself and with others.
1t does not necessitate always a direct
verbal falsehood, but manner, bearing
expression or implication from which but
one conclusion can be drawn. A blum
derer in this art is justly viewed with
contempt and even suspicion.
There is the harmless lie which arises
from vanity, and which nobody believes
excepting, perhaps, thenarrator himself.
The harmless liar seeks to'nagnify him.
self by the relation of anecdotes and in
stances which may or mayIlot have some
slight foundation. Heis neither hated
nor Stunned, and if he is not respected
the reason is not that he is liar, but
some other defect of character.
The business lie is necessity, a cog
wheel of trade, which ewerybody'expects
and accepts. 1t is so common that
special agency has long thriven merely
by publishing the truth about the real
standing of business houses The fact
that the agency is often wrong shows
only that the well which truth inhabits
is getting unusually deep.
The family lie is another common
form, so firmly rooted as to. Withstand
all attempts at removal. Thelaughable
discussion few years ago as to whether
Santa Claus should be abolished or not
will readily be called to mind.
TWO FORMS TO AVOID.
The ministerial lie, which consists
mainly in half statement of the truth,
is common on Sundays. This is highly
excusable; if the pastor allowed himself
to stray from generalities to particular
instances he would soon be preaching to
empty pews, and his career of usefulness
would be at an end.
The newspaper lie is to be found in any
newspaper ever published. Arising as
it does from desire to afford amuse-
ment, or from partial knowledge, it is
by no means blameworthy. In the lat
ter case, which is the commoner, it is
not really lie, because, though it con-
veys false impression, it is not false by
the will of the promulgator.
The two forms of lying which seem
really to be avoided, which bring actual
condemnation from society, are the sci
entific lie and the malicious lie. The
former is an obstinate determination to
combat newly discovered truth, which
cannot but be apparent to any one who
is qualified to talk at all on the subject.
Unhappily, owing to the ignorance Of
the great mass Of the people, which pre-
vents them from forming an opinion,
the scientific liar is not held in the de-
testation which he deserves.
The malicious lie, which is told with
the intention of injuring another, is the
form most commonly signifed by the
word. For this there is no excuse. 1t is
and always will be the badge of cow
ardly and untrustworthy character, the
commonest and most convenient resort
of treachery. 1t is detestation of this
form that curiously, through defect in
the language, brings discredit upon the
praiseworthy or necessary forms which
differ from it essentially.
Meantime, if the devil is ashamed only
when the truth is spoken, he must suffer
little from the disagreeable emotion.
The world is too sensible and too practi-
cal ever to prefer truth of doubtful
utility to pleasant lie in spite of the
6tful agitation to the contrary