The Meeker herald., 1899-09-09
Lying.

Lying SStuS ~ We -al inherent trait
common to hunnanity-iu some more
inherent than in Others. But Others
soon make up their deficiency by stud,
and practice.
Now in the Ute, it is especial,v de.
veloped by nature; whilst the politician
has attained emineuce by long, severe
seit,culture.
No race has vet been discovered so
unintelligent as to be unable to lie.
while none have become SO enlightened
as to be able to dispense with falsehood.
Our own great American people. of
course, stand in the front of the very
vanguards of civilization and en!ighten-
ment, yet we can by no means 10 with
out lying. We require its use every
where, every dav; we need it in our
business, in our religion, in our society,
in our politics, in our government, and
could not possibly do without it any
where.
Danish it, and The result would be
anarchy. 1t preserves the peace, and
maintains harmony. One dare not even
contemplate the fearful calamity to
society that would be effected by its
disuse. What sane man would endure
the truth about himself? Not YOU nor
Il, Mr.. Editor Not you nor l, On
reader! Certainly not. Why. lies con-
cerning ourselves are our happiest boons
the great, inestimable blessings of
life-the very essence of our content.
SUPPOSE they were not INDUCED in, and
that the strict, positive. literal, exact
truth was invariably spoken of us. But.
no. no, NO, let us not suppose anything
so terrible. Suicide were better.
Then think of the convenience of w.
ing. What SO "handy" us lie? Moth
ing! It's more consoling. too, than the
truth, almost every time. 1t is often
embarrassing to tell the truth. but who
was ever embarrassed by lying? 1t is
only in detection that that occurs. For
instance. it is verv convenient for me to
tell my wife that l am going to the
lodge, when, in fact, l am going out for
social game of poker, or to visit the
Blake street shows. Think of the
terrific consequences that failure to
suppress the truth in such case would
involve.
How could our creeds gain adherents
or our myriads of supurb determination
al structures be reared if theologians
did not lie? They must obscure GER
tam tenets of their own faith, which
cannot be clearly comprehended by the
herd, and give special prominence to
the defects of rival sects, if they would
succeed And as each theological engi-
neer honestly believes that the particu-
lar sectarian wheelbarrow he trund!es
along tbeoretic by-ways is the only gem
uine, real, original palace drawing and
dining room express train, on the only
safe, reliable, all steel rail and stone
ballasted gospel railway, such lying be-
comes essential and duty.
What would become of that political
party that would admit that its ad-
versaries were right in any Particular
In politics, as in creeds, a great and
important part of the lying is done neg
atiyely. That is. BY silence-effectivel
denying the existence of a fact by fail
IRE to mention it-denying the existence
of an excellent trait or tenet by fear
lessly ignoring it. This method is quite
as thorough as any other system of liv-
ing, for, after all, what is lying if not
the suppression of the truth? If all
officials were to refrain from official lies
the state would disintegrate and govern
ment dissolve instantaneously. Lying
by its functionaries is the salvation of
government; and government is essen
tiai to the common welfare of all
wherefore, lying is public officials
chief duty. And 1 have observed that
there is no other duty they so religiously
and scrupulously discharge.
There is abundant pleasure, too, in
judicious lying-a double pleasure, often
as when one tells woman of question
able features that she is an enchanting
beauty. She is made glad by the fattery
for she believes the lie, and the liar de.
riyes reflex pleasure from the salts
faction he imparts. Or, to tell a lie
about ones self in such manner as to
cause the lie-er to hold the liar in
greater esteem. Well. this is prolific
source of prodigious pleasure-often to
be sure, rather evanescent. But brief
pleasures are vastly better than no
pleasures at all.
There are manv distinct classes of lies,
and Liars Catalogue" would have a
wide range and afford valuable infor-
nation.
There is the lie direct-a deliberate
lie; lie constructed and intended to