The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-03-12
Anderaa1t Yntelligsnter,
1En:EE.ss1
Sllanli:,e The Devil.


The number of persons who undertake
to tell the truth inevitably is small. "It
does not by any Means come up to
majority of any grade of society,"" says
one of our contemporaries, and although
the statement at first sounds rather start
ling, upon reflection, re are forced to
admit that ills true. Good breeding, and
some other considerations, forbid US to
call any man liar, but if re consider
how many there are among our acquaint-
ances upon whose word we can conf
dently rely, We will find, to our surprise,
that their number by no means comes
up to majority. Most of these, how
ever, are men who would rather die than
swear to an untrutb, and who would
resent any doubt of their veracity in
such way as to silence, if not convince,
the doubter. They are simply uncon-
scious Of how many untruths they tell,
because they allow themselves to speak
without due consideration, thinking that
a little exsggeration is allowable if it
heighten the effect of a good story or
piece of news, and have fallen into the
error of believing that they need not be
as careful of their utterances in ordinary
conversation as if they we're upon the
witness stand.
The old fable of the three black COWS
is a trise example of the inability Of
people to repeat anything exactly as it is
told to them; and every lawyer is aware
how difficult it is for two witnesses to
agree in describing an event they have
seen, although they may both be anxious
to be very accurate and impartial in their
testimony. No mind is perfectly impair
tial, and, just as a ray ofsunlight will
assume the various hues in shining
through stained glass window, 80 each
mind will impart its peculiar tint to
whatever truth passes through it. These
variations cannot rightly be called false.
hoods, since they are involuntary and
unavoidable even when we endeavor to
be most candid, and lie is always an
Intentional effort to deceive.
Thep any number Of people prevari-.
cate about their local affairs, family mat
ters, business concerns and things of like
personal nature, reconciling it to their
conscience by thinking that no ore has a
right to question them upon such mat
ters. This is quite true, and hence there
is social law, observed by all well-bred
people, that forbids the asking of any
questions that it may be embarrassing to
answer, but if ne are so unfortunate as to
know any of those social pests, who,
under color of friendly interest, are al
ways prying into their neighbors' busi-
ness, it is better either to ignore their
impertinent questions, or to quietly
decline to answer them, than to allow
ourselves to be tormented into telling an
untruth to avoid revealing some secret
ne do not wish to disclose. We are
afraid, however, that this mode Of proce.
dure would not avail us much in dealing
with that most embarrassing person, the
tax assessor. It is really distressing to
reflect upon the number of prevarica.
tions, to use no stronger term, which he
evokes by bis impertinent curiosity about
personal property and the like.
Another fruitful source of falsehood is
the present custom Of extravagant adver-
tisements of every description, deliber-
ately framed with the intention of
attracting attention at no matter what
sacrifice of truth. The very worst of
these are those offering situations or EN-.
ployment at hone to people in needy
circumstances, many of whom call i'll
spare the small sum demanded for further
information, which is generally worth.
less when obtained. Then there are
patent medicines that will curse every
disease that flesh is heir:to as by magic; !;
or town lots in some locality that is just
about to become the metropolis of the
State in which it is situated; or the
announcements of merchants and dealers
who declare that they are selling off at
cost or far below it "a magnificent line"
of this or that to make room for new
stock. As everybody, particularly every
woman, loves a bargain, this is sure to
draw customers, who find to their disap-
pointment that the cline" is composed
for the most part of shop.worn articles,
that would be dear at any price, with q
few of a better description ''to make it
co." while the employees of the chop are
expected to tell you that they are just
out of the especial article you may
desire. The object of this is not 80 much
the sale of those special goods as to
attract customers, who disappointed in
getting at low price what they desire,
may purchase it at the regular price, or
else see something in other departments
Of the shop that they will fancy. And
yet good many of these advertisers are
men who in their private life would not
tell an untruth, but who have somehow
become possessed of the idea that such
things are allowable in business.
The falseness of obituaries has become
so proyerbial it would scarcely be worth
enumerating them among the examples
Of show this world is given to lying"
were it not for the impression that exists
generally that the old Injunction, "say
nothing but good of the dead" should
be interpreted into command to praise
the dead regardless of the truth, if you
mention them at all Thew sneak aa