The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-15

Honesty is the best policy said
Ben Franklin, and Richard Whatley,
the great theologian, added, ''But he
who acts on that principle is not an
honest man.
The truth is, that real, genuine
honesty is not policy at all, for poll
cy requires thought, plan and general
ly some dissimulation. Itcomes from
the head, the brain; whereas honesty
is moral principle that comes from
the heart, and takes no time for
thought. Policy is cold, hard word;
honesty a warm, genial, neighborly
one. The poets like it next best to
love-Hearns says, "It's guid to be
honest and true, . and Pope says An
honest mans the noblest work of
God. The best definition Of the word
is. Stree fair in. dealing and worthy
from deceit, just in speech and action,
to be trusted"
Twas ruminating about this because
a clever country BOY from whom l buy
my Hghtwood brought me aload to-day
and the top layers and all that was in
sight were rich in rosin and clean and
attractive. BE wanted dollar and a
half, andiI told him it was too much;
but he pleaded like, a lawyer, and said
he had hauled it ten miles, and that
kind Of pine was getting awful scace;
that he could have sold it down town,
but knew that 1 liked rich, clean split
pine, and so he brought it to me. He
lis q good looking. hard-working boy,
and sol bought it.and stood by while
he threw it Of. The top was all
right, but that out of sight was black
knots or half-rotten pieces, and dis
gusted mes s'Look here, FELTON,, :
said I, s'do you know Of a boy who
would put his best pine in the bottom
Of the wagon, or who would even mix
it about half and half?' "No, sir, I
don't, said he; tive haven't got any
Of that sort in the piney woods. :
ssDon't you know said I, s'that I
.wouldent have given you your price if
I had seen into the bottom Of your
Swagon?'' He smiled complacently,
and replied: s'That' 'sojust the reason
we put the best on top; we couldent
get more'n half price if we dident,
and ysu know, major, We get mighty
little for hard days work, anyhow. :
ssBut, FELTON,, that way Ct doing is
cheating, and they say that cheating
never thrives. should think you
would feel ashamed to throw our load
off right here before me-. "Well,
now, major, to tell you the truth, |
was in hopes you would 60 in the
house before / throwed it off; but
everybody has to put the best on top,
and he smiled all over his face. What
kind Of boy is that2 Well, he is q
little better than the average Of boys,
or of men either, as to that, for he
smiles at yonewhile he deceives you.
Heard blind .phrenologist tell man
once that his bump Of covetousness
Was SO large he would steal if he had a
fair chance-that is, if he found a
man asleep with his pocketbook ander
his pillow he would take it. but at the
same timehe had sympathy SC largely
developed tha. he would kiss his
sleeping victim before he left him. \
like that boy for his good nature, and
had rather he would cheat me than a
boy who wouldent own up to anything,
and go off and brag how he got me.
Yes, everybody puts the best on top,
and everybody tries to get the advan-
tage in trade-not everybody, but
the exceptions are very few. A nan
can tell lie by concealing the truth
when was lad I heard old, DIR.
Nathan Hoyt, Of Athens, preach a
sermon in our town, and have not for
gotten how he looked straight at me
and said: "Little boy. you can tell a
lie by winking your eye. My wife
says she was in store one day when
country woman came in and asked
vthe merchant if he could match that
scrap Of gingham which she showed
him. he said no, but be had some
thing very like it, and prettier, aud he
finally sold it to her. After she left.
my wife remarked that she might have
matched it at the next door, for she
noticed the identical goods in the
window as she passed. eyes, l knew
it," said the merchant, but it wasent
my business to tell her; must sell
her my own goods if | can.'' That
was the kind of honesty that was poll
cy, but it wasent fair or neighborly-
i vooont do;nr as Won would be done