Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-05-09
truth

AHe Appcai-a NdtdoSuS
crdecu Weekly, breaches a noble ser
mon under this head. 1t ought TO be
read aud mentally treasured up by ev-
cry man, woman and child. especially
ought parents and teachers read it,
and better, be guided BY it. II goes
on 10 say that 'of all virtues, from a
social, religious or political point OF
view, truth stands at the head, tor the
manifest reason that without truth
there could be no virtue, and without
virtue there would be no truth. In
order 10 maintain the present social
and political establishments of all civil
lized countries a certain regard for
truth is necessary. II all men were
liars and none could DO trusted il
would be utterly impossible TO carry
OIL the commerce Of q great city like
Memphis, for the reason that there
could be no such thing as bank credit,
and a promise to pay would be mean.
ingless aud valuelcss. Truth goes into
the church, the home circle. the lodge
the downtown coterie OF friends. and
without IL there could be no lasting
interchange either OF feeling or OF
commodities; there could b no trade
or society. Every II who engages
In trade or mixes in society is Deepen.
dent upon the word Of his fellow in
the transaction, and trust to a certain
extent is absolutely necessary for the
proper conduct of ones daily affairs.
With these facts admitted, it goes
without saying that nothing could add
more to the usefulness of man, both
IN business and social life, than the
faculty aud habit of telling the truth.
| Yet, with all these facts conceded,
parents continue to make liars out of
their boys with the threatening rod.
Self preservation is the first law OF ma
,ure, and 80 boys ont of a 100 when
pulled up for some short.coming with
an apple sprout bending over them
will fall into this first instinct and en-.
deavor TO save themselves from a
switching by lying. In this the so
much extolled rod has made more Ii.
ars than every other influence in the
world put together. The step from
lying TO stealing is but n short one, es
pccially if the subject is a short legged
boy. The tcrrOrs of hereafter are so
far in the distance 10 the average
youth that the fires of hades seem cool
to the warmth of the parental switch.
OF the two evils according 10 his mn
ture j%udgmcni) he chooses the least
dangerous and lies to avoid the switch,
little caring for the Consequences here
after. The first time this happens TO
n good hoy, the son of a christian
mother, the lie will choke him. but II
may happen again and again until fin
ally he and his companions will begin
TO measure his smartuess by his adept.
ness at telling a lie to escape the pa
rental rod. Aud so it is that, under
the old law of sparing the rod and
spoil The child, the modern youths arc
growing up to DC a generation of liars.
As truth is the admitted corucr stone
of all virtues, so is untruth the Begin
ming of all crimes. Parents should bear
this in mind, and remember that when
they are holding the Christening rod
over q young culprit, demanding cith'
or a confession or an apology. that
they are surely making a liar and pos
sibly a thief or a murderer. Spare the
rod and save the child would bG much
more applicable to our present c%iziliza'
ton than the harshcr adage OF the an
clients, Life has softened in all its
lines as civilization has progressed
and the children should have lleiI
share of the mercy TINT has been bred
by q higher culture"