The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

son intimates that Editor Corbett He'd
like gas meter when he talked about
liquid air stock. But IL seems 10 me
like going TO an unnecessary length
for any man to try to give the i'm
preston that he never told he.
As an eminent philosopher has point
ed out. the noble art OF lying has fallen
into sad decay. but that is no reason
why man should not try to do his
best or seek to hide his failures behind
a statement that he never did,
/ Personally. OF course. though have
known Editor Corbett a great many
years. never knew him 20 tell a
lie.
But that has never prejudiced me
against him nor served in the least 10
lower him in my estimation. And un-
| til saw this shocking statement in
print l would have had confidence that
he had told as many lies as he chose
even though had not chanced TO hear
| OF them.
But when he deliberately declares
that he never told a lie how can help
II IL a lifelong faith In his good char
acter and eminent attainments is rude
| ly shaken?
Such a thing is calculated no make
nearest and dearest.
One knows not whom ID suspect Of
| perpetual truth telling.
OF course. IL is hardly to he expected
| that editors should try 10 cultivate the
art OF lying so assiduously as lawyers.
| for instance. But that they should
never lie at all is expecting too great
| a sacrifice in profession the demands
Of which are already too relentless. too
wearing upon ones finer sensib lities
and. IL long pursued. inevitably des-
tined TO corrode ones better nature.
For my part. / trust that Editor Cor
bett has been incorrectly reported in
this respect, that he has told lies IN
plenty, first and last, and that he win
live long TO tell many more in fulfill
ment OF the demands OF nature and the
exigencies OF circumstance.
Because ore may be insufficiently
equipped by nature 10 make of lying
a fine art is no reason why one should
be denied entirely the privilege of ly-
ing. 81
Lying. like. competition, is the life
Of trade.
And now that competition has be-
come SD completely crushed, by reason
Of the mania for trusts, only ly-
ing is left.
II only the epicures were permitted
to eat. fancy the misery that would
overcome the great majority of us.
II only the trained. scientific and pro-
fessiona1 liars. human beings so for
tunately endowed by nature as to be
able to lie easily and we'll upon the
slightest occasion, were permitted by
law TO lie. to what annoyance and
heart-rending embarrassment would
many Of us be doomed?
There would be such an uprising of
the masses OF the people In defence of
the inalienable right to lie as would
shake the world TO It's foundations,
cause emperors to totter on their
thrones and make II quite Impossible
to sell even the most gilt-edged Sc
curities. While the bargain counter.
the weight of your new baby one hour
after 1T was born. the size of the fish
that left your hook on reaching the
gunwale of the boat, your assets In
bankruptcy proceedings and other
gladly accepted fictions Of human ex-
perience far too numerous TO mention
in this limited space. wou.- be as
things that are not.
Children and fools always speak
the truth. So runs an ole saw. And
the sage deemed 1t necessary to qualify
the observation by making it very lit
the children and very big fools.
An eminent historian long ago
reached the conclusion that habitual
violators Of the maxim that truth
should not be spoken at all times are
imbeciles and nuisances, For most bad
habits there is usually found some ex-
tenuating circumstances But, as a
rule, poets and philosophers agree in
the opinion that there Is never any ex-
cuse for the habitual speaking Of the
truth.
The poet who suggested fippantly
that. after all. lie was only the truth
in masquerade. failed entirely TO rec
ognize that the majesty OF a lie needs
no apology. And the sage who advised.
never tell a lie"--well he was giving
advice and proverbiaily that Is the
easiest thing in the world to do.
But am wandering far away from
my original subject into the broad field
of ethics and manhood liberty.
Far more logical minds and abler
pens than mine have established the lie
in public confidence. and can but
feebly reflect their demonstration.
To return to the subject Of Johnson
Lovejoy versus Corbett and the latters
disturbing boast OF lifetime circum-
scribed by barbed wire fence OF truth
| telling, i desire only to register the
opinion that It probably was not neces-
sary for defendant TO tell any lies in