Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-20
ARE WE ALL LIARS
a Brilliant Scholars Timely
Paper on Lying.
awH0 LIEs?" is HIS SUBJECT
Trufhfulaess Is ths Only Remedy for The
Evils With Whieh Our Present Civ
iLzatioa Is Fraught


OF tie Arena On lying, IA which ne
tzkes the new rrahstse story, who
les as text. 81 special permission
We are enabled 10 publlsa ta.s notable
paper.
IL may appear Pathological 70 speak
OF the purpose" and the motive" OF
literary work ia one breath; still there
Is sligat distlnct.on between the two,
and tais distinction separates the form
CT lde1iist.e sc.4oos OF novel writer's
from the modern realistic scnool- IL
would be unjust TO say that writers ike
SIR Walter Scott. Eugene sue, Alexan-
der Dumas, BerthOld Auerbach, ana
others nave izeked ''purpose" when
writing tl.eir admirable novels; yet
that mot ye." that tendency, IL indeed
wantIng IN them which eharacterizes
tne works Of realistic authors. Charles
Dickens, VINO may be termed the con-
Meeting link between these two schools,
the novelist OF the Transition PERIOD
--adas a distinct motive" to the ''pur-
pose" when he attacks the miserable
scho0i system OF MS time. or the lnnu.
nanigy with wnich the subme rged
Glasses are Treated. or when ne ridlcules
tn aypOcrlcy oI charitable institutions.
Step ~ step We can trace the evolution
OF tie motive" IN tue progress OF the
realistic literature OF our time.
The latest c ntrirutlOn OF this cnar-
aeter ia hciIon, ephodying strong
motive" las been presented 10 the
reading public tarOusa the Arena Pub
lishmg company OF Boston, IN Their
hfty-cent series of vigorous works by
lea,ing thinkers. The Authors, Emil
Blum, Pm. D.. and Mr.. Slgmund r..
Alexander, have correctly called 10 an
INTERROGATION" They desire TO call
attention 20 one at the most serious
Problems of life, they hurl an accuse
ton a. our mo ieTu civilization, against
which defense - not an easy task;
they east flash light upon society.
aud 81 ow the rotten foundation upon
winch IL rests
Eight gentlemen. belonging 10 the
cultured uni well-to-do ella ss's Oh s0-
city and REFRESHING various wake ot
ME are assembled 1t "A banquet. T.ey
are all graduates Ot the same college,
IN which they hat been nicSnamet by
their classmates the model Nine"
Their friendship had existed during
ten years. IN which time eacn OF them
had won for himself n respected pos
ton IN society. One IS successful
physician; another famous lawyer;
the third stands At the head OF lucra-
tive business concern; the fourth is the
Chief banking house. and known rs .
great philsuthropist; the fifth occupies
the puipi, OF a fashionable church; the
SIXTH edits q newspaper of large circu-
IatioG; the seventh holds u professor 5
char az the Aims Mater: the eighth is
identified with the politics of his state;
the ninth. the most promising OF them,
had inherited from his father an i'm
mense fortune, and had during these
years Travelled extensively. he had,
therefore. never been resent al any OF
their annual reunions, but - expected
TO JON them on this occasion. A he.
lated tram brings him to the city and
into their company, at the moment
when they are drinking the health and
praising the noble qualities OF the alb
sentee.
He - warmly greeted by his friends,
who, however, md that DE has changed
considerably. Though apparently the
same genial and brilliant fellow whom
they bad known IN times past, he seems
To nave become infected with the black
est kind of pessimism. lie fiercely at
tacks the very civilization which they
cherish 80 dearly. A controversy
arises, which eliminates IN peculiar
wager. Rust. the pessimlss, Claims that
our whole civilization Is huge "lie;"
that this "ilo' has ptrmeated and pol
soned society to sucn degree that no
one could speak the truth. even If he
desired. for and length OF time, with
out hsrmng. II Not destroying. his
reputation ard business prospect. This
il empnaticaiiy denied by MS friends.
who, on their part, claim that Tor one
week. at least, they would pladge them
10 adhere strictly to the trutn. The
wager provides, therefore. that If they
adhere to the truth for one week. Rust
must pay 5000; but II one OF them
bresks his word, no must pay 81 900.
The money = 10 20 to some benevolent
institut on, which the winner shall des-
ignste. IL IL further agreed that any
member may Withdraw his obllgatloa
on payment Of 81 900 during the week,
II he finds telling the truth too expen-
sve.
The result vas as predicted by Rust.
Disaster IN some form overlook each of
them. In the last chapter. Rust in.
forms them that he had offered the
wager. not to win their money but to
give them an object lesson. All the
missries from when society IS suffering.
says be. are the logical consequences of
the prevailing unsrutnfulness. Instead
OF trying 20 remodel the world. and to
better eoni tons by assailing conse-
quences. they ought - attack the root
OF the evil, the che" ne proposes,
therefore. the formation of q society
Of veritists- -of men who will pledge
themselves 20 speak the truth always.
unmHsifnI Of po<ssbis consequences. II
" as firm belief that, IN the end, pso-
pie will learn that they prosper much
better with truth than with untruth.
and that whife for short time they
may Re The ioscrs. IN the end they will
win confidence and make up for the
lo<r.
The lightning which Iilumines the
pssb OF the wandersr GA stormy
night shows him the preci pice into
which ne = about ~ fall; thus "Wno
IzesT' reveals ths dsngrrs with which
our present civilization - frsught. and
che rooaf from which most Of its evils
grows II suggests the Only remedy:
NAMELY. - Speak the truth and notn-
ing hst the truth. regardless of eonse-
aeeuces.
'.who Lies Will 10 found not only
snin@lnx ard interesting. but the
reader wii, admire 4 for is courage
ard fpsriesSnsss. IL . deserving ~
w'ds eircle u readers.
SOCKS AND MAGAZINES.
Inc & ,lambsn Souvenir contains
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endsr Of American history dates of