The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-31


IL Is wrong 10 murder. The law OF the land says
SO That In itself would make IL wrong while the
law lasts, but IL the law were abrogated murder
homicide. but deliberate MURDERS not ques-
ton or expectancy. but OF ethics. IL is not
question OF locality; II pertains to the entire
particular tines IL belongs 10 eternity.
III was wrong to commit murder before
be equally wong after al human laws shall have
persisted. IL was wrong. even before the divine
law concerning IL was published. True. IL Is for.
hidden among the Ten Commandments. But II
Is wrong. not simply because IL is forbidden IL
Is forbidden because 1t is wrong Ii was wrong
before Mount sinai smoked and tremblcd; and it
will be wrong when Mount Sinai and the eartn,
and the visible universe shall have passed away.
There is such thing as local etiquette. but
there is no such q thing as local ethics. what IS
proper In one place may be improper in another.
What Is good taste In city may be poor taste In
the country. BrOadcloths and silks are appro-
pirate for the drawing room, but they would be
out of place in the barnyard. COwhide boots are
IN good taste on the farm. but In bad taste on a
velvet carpet IL is in harmony with good taste
TO roll up your trousers while wading through
the deep mud, but such spectacle would attract
attention on the platform. Etiquette Is more or
less question or locality and environments but
ethics knows neither time, place nor circum-
stance. What is proper In the court room may
he improper in church. but what Is right in one
Is right in the other.
ETHICS AND FXPEDIENCY.
Expediency may be local, but ethics never. 1t
u q
ming stream rather than hilltop. but,
whether by the stream or on the highland, tie
mill must grind an honest grisA That is not
question of expediency, but of ethics. 1t may
be expedient to erect wind mill where the
wind blows, rather than where IL is always
dead calm, but 1t il not question OF
expediency whether the miller count ninety
feet for a hundred. Expediency changes Will. the
current. IL goes north when tho current is north
and south when the current is south. But ethics
the current flows. Expedency Is the gnomon on
the revolving earth, which points now TO the
zenith ana now to the nadir. Ethics Is the n1ed i
axis OF the earth, which moves always parallel
TO itself and points to the invisible pole of the
heavens.
II what have said be true. then my very
theine is an absurdity. The ethics OF the schools
We do not speak of the aXioms OF the schools
for an axiom is an axiom, In school or out OF It,
the schools. for five times five are twenty-five.
in bank as we'll rs in the shades OF the academy.
Ws do not speak Of hs front of the
college tower will strike the ground as
hard rs will the citizen who falls
not ask the question, ia this the college tower
Is IL the town stand pipel IL simply asks the
questions: How high is the falll And II the dis
ger 10 the ground with velocity OF ninety-six
feet a second. whether he be student or whether
he be citizen. school ethicsi school right
angles. School parallel lines School heat, light
and electricity The school north star.
Why. then. have selected theme which car
ries upon its face its own ahsurdityi
have chosen this illogical combination from
the fact that there is sentiment extensively
prevalent among our schools and colleges that
the combination Is not Illogical but that there ID
such u thing as school or college ethics differing
from the ethics OF the counting room, the mar
ket place, the street or the home.
There Is q sentiment too largely prevalent that
the schOOlbOy or the college inan Is q law unto
himself and that he can do with impunity what
would he disgraceful, or even criminal. If done
n Ia q 81 a
name on the school register. wish TO say in adj
vance that believe our Indiana colleges to be
comparatively emancipated from :his unhealthy
that believe them to ne wholly free froL IL.
Put Ia plain English the sentiment which pre-
walls in many colleges. whether professional or
literary, Is this: To tell lie Is wrong on the
street. but right in college. To cheat Is wrong in
market. but right in college. To personal
violence is wrong In a saloon. but right in a col
lege. To boycott Is wrong in ireland: wrong
even In the business circles OF the United States.
erIy is wrong In cowboy, but TO
deface walls or to carry off gates
and signboards is right in college student. To
howl and screech on the street Is wrong in
drunken man. and shonld consign him TO a diet
OF bread and water. but TO make night hideOus
with rnearthly yeils Is sign of culture. pro-
vided the yels proceed from the threats OF col
lege boys. street-corner loafer who guys the
passerby is rude and insoent, but crowd OF col
their way are only giving vent to an excess OF
dog up mans stairway, through
frightenod TO death. and haIr frightening to
death the Immediate neghbors Is wrong in a
TO o3S put right even 1 many mi, anH honorable
wrong IN q heather. but right In a Christian,
provided the Christian happen to have his name
fully exemplitied by the Divine Teacher. In bind
ing upon the conscience OF the pirate the
high seas; OF the liquor seller, as the young man
appears st the bar Tor his first drink; OF the In
dian, with his tomahawk uplifted; of the gam
bier In his den OF infamy-but. fOrsooth. this
same golden rule was not made TO measure the
conscience Of Christian who has matriculated
in "a Christian college.
Have put the case too stronglyl Let us see.
Street lying Is wrong. Equally so is college
lying. II u man asks me proper question TO
which the answer should be no, and answer
yes III reply. knowing that I shOnld say no.
have told him a falsehOod. Ii is falsehood in
the court room and a falsehOod III college. II
say yes 70 my professor when should say no,
tell him IL falsehood.
regulations are arbitrary and that the authori-
ties have no right TO demand the DISCHARGE OF
cred 10 leave the impression that have done
what L have not done. and II 1 accept the
profits OF my deception, have lied.
y lie Is not complete until one decides To take
permanent advantage of the proceeds OF the un-
truth. That ia the difference between untruth
told in JOKE and deliberate lie.
SOME REFISEMESTs OF CONSCIENCE.
Whether. then, The college regulations
Ditrary or not, Ii Is my business to utter the
truth. Even though the regulations bind upon
my conscience, still 1t is my part TO keep to the
truth. have known students whose cOnscences
were too tender to permit obedience to certain
requirements OF the college, but which were not
tender enough TO prevent them from prevari-
Gazing about the performance OF these sOc called
un-Chrlstian requirements. / do not understand
the kind or conseience that shrinks from
performing an act, but that docs not equally
shrink from giving out a false impression COLI
corning its performance. such conscience Is
tender-in spots-and it selects It's own spots.
may protest. even rebel, against the regulations
which bind upon my conscience. may decline
TO answer all questions relating to either arbi-
trary or immoral requirements but II 1 answer
at all must abide 10y the truth. / willing
TO defy arbitrary authority. but will not defy
my conscience. | will take the consequences
quences with my conscience. put the question
plainly. Have not described what is, 10 s0me
extent at least, the situationl Ia Ii not depor-
able fact that what many students wink a an
innocent sale of the truth in college they would
frown upon as a fragrant breach of the truth OH
the street,
Again. cheating in the market is wrong.
Equally. then. IL Is wrong In college. You sell
Your neighbor n horse for hundred dollars. He
gives you ten ten-dollar-bills five OF which are
good and five OF which are counterfeit. When
you discover the cheat you do not rest satisfied
until he is behind the prison bars The COLLEGE
sets before the student ten questions. The
student returns ten answers. five OF which are
genuine and five counterfeit. Will you tell
Inc the difference between tho two cases,
aside from the fact that one violates the law of
the land and the other does mott Counterfeiting
forbidding IL. and IL Will he wrong after oil coun-
terfeltlng In repealed. COMMUNICATING an