New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-16


There's a very old story-oId enough TO be re-
entered for post -prandial narration d'r'"s '"'
season Of 1S94-Gj-of Il small boy whose parents
were prejudiced against eats. rushing INTO 'he
housc one day in a state Of excitement WIN
the announcement that there were more II IL
,bousaud eats I'm the yard" Being closely qles-
toned he gradually reduced the NUMBER o"""
,brouyb the hundreds and tens until being
finally cornered. he said: "Well. al an! r''''
..,bcrc was Miss Joncs's old cat ana aho'h''
cone" And The hOy's father. without 'ahi"s
into account that he meant wen III cai''ns "'
tcntion 10 the fact that there were CATS III inv
ward and had only given his fancy play III ""'"S
SO. took the Young person by the collar ana, IN
the story runs. licked him for lying. INV
Story ends there and II does not appear whether
the licking" cured the boy Of lying. :" tfa'
when he grew IL manhood he avoided cXasg'ra-
,iou and was careful 10 have his statements
conform to mathematical accuracy or whether
no continued 10 give his fancy play ana grew
mn to he n poet or a slapdash rcformcr ana aSi-
tator. adding ciphcrS to units In large ana
liberal way and Initiating simple facts win Inc
yind Of n lively Imagination. Let H. hop" that
the licking did him good
II seems a pity that great many persons
who have come into prominence during the last
ycor or two did not undergo some similar disci-
pline in their youth. or if They did. that II WAS
not moro effective II such fellow a Waite.
~ Colorado for instance. had been effectively
Disciplined in his youth for giving his Iah'F
play. and sacrificing mathematical accura'! !"
redundancy Of expression the world michi nave
lost The mos, remarkable exhibition Of asihhi'y
ever witnessed in a high place, but there never
would have been any talk Of blood I" inc
horses brides" or any Of the rest OF his ui-
routh exacccrations II the whole outfit 81
Popnlist orators who have been howlng apo"i
the Grimes" Of people who disagreed WIN 'hrn
had been licked for lying when 'h'y nrS' ne
gan foollng with facts in their youth. mere
would have been less violcut language ana more
reason and commonsensc abroad III me lihh
during the last two or three years one "t me
most decided symptoms. and perhaps me III
citing cause Of the epidemic Of unreas"n when
has prevailed So long has been the t'idch'!
10 hyperholr Ia loo-cncss ~ speech ana reckless
cxaggera,ion II from thousands ~ pages ~
the speeches made during that time the bllIr
mcneil of cold truth could erase The russian ana
folly. the ovcrsiaiements and fllsehood~. ihcy
contain Their. would be hardly enough ~ them
left 10 ill newspaper column.
Unfortunately. the practice has not been con
fned 10 political bahersklies. our esteemed
contemporary. The New York sun. took occa-
sion n few DAYS ago 10 subject 10 cold analysis
n pulpit utterancc which hal all the character
istlcs Of the cat story narrated above. we'll
known clergyman was quoted - saying That
"cyery ninth man In America j. drunk1rd.
.evcry seventh person nm opium hend. every
fifth woman victim Of hysicria every fourth
.mnn Il slave If tobacco etc. our contemp"-
r,,y took pains to poin, out what indeed hardly
needed demonstration. that these statements
are wild cxaggoraiions. Of course they are.
However forceful they may have sounded In
the ears ~ .he audience when they sirik" III"
eve in print their weakness anil unouthfulnos~
are apparent. II IL no excuse for loose ana ran
dom assertions that the intention WAS good.
Nothing cxclI ~ such rank disregard Of truth.
such bald distortion of facts that are within
the knowledge Of every thinking man. The only
explanation II II * that the habit ~ cXaggera-
ton. the prevailing epidemic. has become 50
universal that the clergy are beginning Ia b''
affected by H. Experience teaches that no good
cause IS promoted. no reform OF any s"rt
permanently effected. by such agencies. Wilful
cxaggeraton may serve 10 arouse prejudice or
excite passion but In IN" end II must fal ana
ought TO fail, TO appeal 10 reason or affect the
Judgment 1t Is the weapon of scnsationasts
and demagogucs. and not Of honest men. OF
all the reforms now being agltaied none i
more needed than one which Will correct Inc
prevailing tendency to gross AMI wlliui exag-
gerarion We should then have less eloGnencc'
pcrhaps bur more truth. our "spellblhhers
would talk less. but when they do talk would
say more things that are so.