The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-17
"LYING A HABIT.
Comment of a Correspondent
< Miss Evans, Statement.

To the Editor Of the Globe.
There are several things In Miss Evans
address. delivered . few days ago before the
st. Paul Public School union, which make
that position unique. I refer to the paper
In which she reviewed the practical results
OF moral training in the public schools. From
am Investigation Of alleged testimony
from business men,, gathered. know not by,
whom, she arrived at the surprising and
indeed startling conclusion that at least IS
per cent Of the business men in the COM
prove remunerative to them, and that cheat
ing is to besexpected ffom- nine ibhtsof every
ten men engaged In commercial pursuits.
Not only is this the case, according to this
eminent statistical. authority, but further
investigation" has convinced Miss Evans
that the situation as regards the pupils in
the seheols shows that those who hold to
the rigidaAnes Of honesty are about the same
as those who could be claSsed as honest
UNDER all circumstances in the business
world., As Miss Evans represents teachers
waging q constant campaign against the vices
of lying and cheating, and indeed haya no
doubt they are. and as the moral tone adj
yanees, under such tutelase,; according Ito
her, with higher edusation. one is puzzled to
oblfQuity In those Of the community bereft
Of such elevating influences. 1t seems a pity
that Miss Evans did not go a step further and
tell us exactly how bad our ineighbors are,
for its seems quite evident that her investiga-
tions have proved them much more dishonest
and untruthful than even the most despon-
dent pessimists had previously believed them
to be.
Miss Evans has not only done the public
the true Kindness Off telling them how bad
they really sare, for in general they have
"facts" which her Investigations have prov
ed: but, happily, from Darkest America"
she points the way out. For her." testimony"
showed ..that the moral tone of pupils ad-
vanced with their education, being highest
among the colleges and higher in the high
school than in the. grammar grades Post
hoe propter hoe. Nothing could be simpler.
Greek and mathematics. It is to be regretted,
however. that she did not tell us exactly
how honest and truthful our dishonest and
untruthful lads become by the time they re-
ceive the degree of B. A. or M. A.. She
might, with advantage, have shown the grades
of beatitudinal progression, and measured
the gulf between the unregenerate freshman
and the exalted senior.
But we are farther assured from compari-
son Of this latest with previous 'investiga-
tions" in which the Testimony of business
men" has been so conscientiously. digested and
classified, that commercial unreliability Is
rapidly increasing, and that the standard of
business morals Is, lower now than It was
five years ago, and no doubt 1t was lower
five years ago than ten years ago. and SO on,
for surely back in the good old times of our
forefathers, at least when lessons OF piety
and morality were enforced even by blue laws
there must have been time when most mer-
chants did not cheat, and when business men
as a rule despised liars. and did not habitualiy
utter untIuths.
Which leads me to reluctantly conclude, for
really 1 have the highest regard for Miss
Evans as lady, as a teacher and as q NOR
alist, that there must be a flaw in Miss
Evans logic. Her facts" do not justify her
conclusion as to the desirabilfty of higher
education Indeed, quite the contrary Fer
taking all Miss Evans, t'facts'' as proved BY
her investigations Of the Testimony Of
business men" they seem to me to show that
the less education our business men have the
more honest and truthful are they likely to
be. For there never was time when educa-
tion-higher educatfon-was so general. Never
before were so many Of our merchants and
those engaged in business pursuits, college,
bred. At no time in the history Of our country
were the colleges, and even the Christian col
1eges, sending out such droves OF bachelors Of
arts and sciences to take part in the country's
commercial pursuits. Post hoe pfopter hoe,
again. If this influx has really resulted in
the deplorable state of affairs which Miss
Evans insists upon as SO prevalent, does it
not look very much like cause and effect, and
does it not seem to prove that the higher ed
ucation Of business men only makes them the
sharper to put their, wits to q bad use? Miss
own case, and if shenhad applied honestly her
alleged .facts" she must have arrived at the
conclusion that the best thing we can do Is
to go back to the days OF the old red school
house.
But, after all, 1t is wrong to take Miss
Evans seriously. Sheerealiy don't believe that
in nine out Of ten oflthe purchases she makes
cheat her and encouraging his clerks to do
her up. Like everybody else, she knows well
enough that most men and women and most
boys and girls are in the main both truthful
and honest. She is quite as well aware as any
of US less favored by education than herself
that business success Is to a large extent de-
pendent upon honest dealing ;,a and that in
marked man She knows O% ta4 a9msthing Gf
is to corrupt a naturally candid, honest and
truthful boy who hs sooa home he tranng ssdns it
in the home. a lad who is naturally crooked.
She would never dream Of applying her gen
She would be indignant to be quoted as say
ing that Of merchants
made local that is precisely what she did say.
The trouble is Miss Evans IN tta talking this
which may be greeted with applause by Ia
dies. aid society. by q convention Of school y;oo
sometimes looks very queer in cold print.
John Lawton.
Mortified. Minn.. Nay r.