People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-06-17
a CHAPTER ON LIES.
RABBI SOLOMON SCHNEIDER GIVES SOME
INTERESTING FACTS,

a most interesting paper to the Arena
on lying, in which he takes the new
realistic story, "WhO Lies" as a text
By special permission we are enabled
to publish this notable paper.
1t may appear Pathological to speak
of the purpose" and motive" of a
literary work in one breath; still
there is slight distinction between
the two, and this distinction separates
the former idealistic school of novel
writers from the modern realistic
school. 1t would be unjust to say
that writers like Sir Walter Scott,
Eugene Sue. Alexander Dumas. Der.
thOld Auberbach. and Others have
lacked a purpose" when writing
their admirable novels: yet that mo
tive" that tendency, is indeed want
ing in them which characterizeS
the works of realistic authors
Charles Dickens, who may be termed
the connecting link between these
two SchOOlS,-the novelist of the tran
SltlOn period, adds a distinct mo
tive" to the purpose" when he at
tacks the miserable school system of
his time, or the inhumanity with
whit he submerged classes are
treated, or when he ridiculeS the n.y.
pOcriSy of charitable institutions.
Step by step we can thus trace the ev-
OlutiOn of the motive" in the prog
ress of the realistic literature of our
time.
The latest contribution of this
character in fiction, embodying a
strong motive" has been presented
to the reading public through the
Arena Publishing Company, of Bos-
ton, in their ffty-cent series of Wig
OrOuS works by leading thinkers. The
authors, Emil Blum, Ph.D., and Mr..
Sigmund B. Alexander, have correctly
called it an interrogation" They
desire to call attention to one of the
most serious problems of life: they
hurl an accusation at our modern civ
against which a defence is not
an easy task: they cast a flash light
upon society, and show the rotten
foundation upon which it rests.
Eight gentlemen, belonging to the
cultured and well-tO-dO classes of So
ciety and representing various walks
Of life, assembled at a banquet. |
They are all graduates of the same
college, in which they had been nick
named by their classmates the Model |
Nine" Their friendship had extend
ed during ten years, in which time
each of them had won for himself a
respected position in society. One is
a successful physician; another a IA
nous lawyer; the third stands at the
head of lucrative business concern:
the fourth is the chief of a banking
house, and known as a great philan-
-hrOpiSt: the fifth occupies the pulpit
Of a fashionable church: the sixth
edits a newspaper of large circula-
ton: the seventh holds a professors
chair at the Alma Mater; the eighth
IS Identified with the politics of his
state; the ninth, the most promising
Of them, had inherited from his faith
er an immense fortune, and had dur
ing these years Travelled extensively.
Tie had, therefore, never been pres
mt at any of their annual reunions,
but expected to join them on this Oc-
'aSiOn. A belated train brings him
to the city and into their company,
1t the moment when they are drink
ing the health and praising the noble
qualities of the absentee.
He is warmly greeted by his friends.
who, however, find that he has chang
ed considerably. Though apparently
the same genial and brilliant fellow
whom they had known in times past.
he seems to have become infected with
the blacklist kind of pesSimism. He
tiercely attacks the very civilization
which they cherish so dearly. A con-
arises which eliminates in a
peculiar wager. Rust, the peSSimist.
claims that our whole civilization is
huge Lie" that this Lie" has per-
meated and poisoned society to such
a degree that no one could speak the
truth, even if he desired, for any
length of time, without harming. if
not destroying, his reputation and
prospect. This is emphatic
ally denied by his friends, who, on
their part, claim that for one week.
at least, they would pledge themselves
to adhere strictly to the truth. The
wager provides, therefore. that i'll
they adhere to the truth for one week. |
Rust must pay eight thousand dollars: !
but if one of them breaks his word !
he must pay one thousand dollars
The money shall 60 to some benevo-
lent Institution, which the winner
shall designate. 1t is further agreed
that any member may withdraw his
L