The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-19
STAINING THE DEVIL.
The Majority Do Not Always Tell the Truth
1t Is not Fashionable to Do So-May
the Old Fashion of Speaking the
Truth Return
1Sunday News

Slklall. 4G OOSo law ~ eS
come up to majority of any grade OF
society,"" says one Of our contempora-
ries, and although the statement at
first sounds rather startling, upon re-
aection we are forced to admit that it
is true. Good breeding. and some
other considerations, forbid US to Call
any man liar, but if we consider how
many there are among our acqualntan-
ees upon whose word we can conn
dently rely, We will find, to our sur
prise, that their number by no means
comes Up to majority. Most OF these
however, are men who would ra1her
die than swear to an untruth, and VINO
would resent any doubt of their veraci-
ty in such a way as to silence, if not
convince. the doubter. They are SIM
plv unconscious of how many untruths
thew tell, because they allow them
selves to speak without due consldera-
ton, thinking that littleexaggeratlon
is allowable if it heighten the effect OF
q good story or piece of news, ana nave
fallen into the error of believing that
thew need not be careful Of their utter
ances in ordinary conversation as II
they were upon the witness stand.
The old fable of the three black crows
is trite example Of the inability OF
people to repeat anything exactly as 1t
is told to them; and every lawyer is
aware how difficult it is for two Wit
nesses to agree in describing an event
thew have seen, although they may
both be anxious to be very accurate
and impartial in their testimony. NO
mind is perfectly impartial, and, just
as aray of sunlight will assume the
various hues in shining through
stained glass window, so each MIND
will impart its peculiar tint to what
ever truth passes through it. These
variations cannot rightly be called
falsehoods, since they are involuntary
and unavoidable even when we enoeav-
or to be most candid, and lie IS al
yays an Intentional effort to deceive.
Then any number of people preVarl-
cate about their local affairs, family
matters, business concerns and things
of like personal nature, reconclhng II
to their conscience by thinking that no
one has right to question them upon
such matters. This is quite true, ana
hence there is a SOC al law, observed by
all well-bred people, that forbids the
asking of any questions that 1t may De
embarrassing to answer, but II we are
50 unfortunate as to know any OF those
social pests, who, under color of friend
" interest, are always prying into their
neighbors' business, it is better either
to ignore their impenitent questions,
or to quietly decline to answer them'
than to allow ourselves to be toImenteo
into telling an untruth to avoid reveal
ing some secret we do not wish to dis
close. We are afraid, however, that
this mode of procedure would not avail
US much in dealing with that most en-
Darrassing person, the tax assessor. IL
is really distressing to reflect upon the
number of prevarications, to use no
stronger term, which he evokes by his
impertinent curiosity about personal
property and the like.
Another fruitful source of falsehood
is the present custom Of extravagant
advertisements of every description,
deliberately framed with the intention
of attracting attention at no matter
what sacrifice of truth. The very
worst of these are those Offering sltua-
tions or employment at bone to people
in needy circumstances, many of whom
can i'll spare the small sum demanded
for further information, which is gene
rally worthless when obtained. Then
there are patent medicines that will
cure every disease that flesh is heir to
as by magic; or town los in some To-
cality 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 bargain, this is sure to draw Gus
toners, who find to their disappoint-
ment that the cline" is composed for
the most part of shop worn articles,
that would be dear at any price, with a
few of better description "to make it
go,n while the employees of the shop
are expected to tell you hat they are
just out of the especial article you may
desire. The object of this is not so
much the sale OF those special goods as
to attract customers, who, disappointed
in getting at low price what they de-
sire, may purchase it at the regular
price, or else see something in other de-
paFsments of the shop that they will
fancy. And yet good many Of these
advertisers are men who in their pri-
vate life would not tell an untruth,
but who have somehow become pos
sessed of the IDEA that such things are
allowable in business.
The falseness of obituaries has be-
come so proverbial it would scarcely
be worth enumerating them among the
examples of "how this world is given
to lying" were it not for the impression
that exists generally that the old in
junction, "Say nothing but good of the
Dead" should be interpreted into
command to praise the dead regardless
of rho trDtb If Won mention them ar