Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-09
WHAT IS 4 LIEs

Inasmuch as the contest now being
waged before the senate committee has
its moral side, Notwithstanding the chief
objects in view by the respective con-
testants, the public will note with inter-
est the development of it's ethical fea-
lures. Up to date, the most important
contribution to the civilization of the
age, growing out Of this $500 0 investi-
cation. is the definition of what consti-
tutes a lie from a democratic standpoint.
1t has been long suspected by close OBJ
servers of events that democratic leaders
have a code of morals Of their own, and
that their Interpretation of a lie admitted
of a more liberal construction thar that
impaired to it by the politically mex
perienced author of Webster's dictionary.
This suspicion has been confirmed by
the frank admission of Mr.. Whiteside
yesterday, while testifying before the
senate committee. In reply to the ques-
ton, What do you consider a lie o. that
gentleman said: II consider it a mis-
statement to one who has a right to
know the truth-not to one who has no
right to know it,"
In other words, a misstatement to one
who has no right to know the truth is
not a lie. AS the person who is engaged
in-the work Of making a statement to
another must be the sole judge of the
right Of his auditor to know the truth,
it will be seen at once that the demo-
cratic idea affords a most brilliant field
for exploitation. If one can convince
himself that the other fellow has no right
to know the truth, one can soon make his
conscience as useless to his mental make
up as is the vermiform appendix to his
intestinal department.
When Shakespeare wrote that it is
conscience which doth make towards of
us all, there were no democrats. He did
not know there ever would be any Had
he suspected such a calamity he would
suppressed the idea that conscience
cuts n figure in the affairs of men.
But while Shakespeare cannot be blamed,
under the circumstances, for suggesting
the thought, it must be confessed that
his reputation will suffer more or less
befrizzlement as soon as the Whiteside
idea gets generally circulated. AS no
man in the democratic party occupies SO
cOnCnicnnlS q nocitinn &c m oil ov,,,n
purifier as Mr.. Whiteside, his interpreta-
ton of bourbon ethics must be accepted
as the opinion of an expert.
While his Interpretation of what con-
stltutes a falsehood has been generally
followed by leading democrats. and
scrupulously observed by the press of
that party, the system was never before
made public. Democratic newspaper
have been often unjustly accused Of
lying, when they were merely working
out the idea that the public didn't have
a right to know the truth. It gives them
a great political advantage over those
newspapers which believe the distinction
between truth and falsehood does not
depend upon the condition of their read
ers. If a lie can be converted into a
truth, merely because the person to
whom it is told is not entitled to the
truth-in the opinion of the narrator-a.
linitless scope is opened up before am
bilious democrats in this state.
1t makes ones head win to think of
the possibilities in store for both wings
of the democracy, with this code Of
ethics in good working order. There is
no reason why church steeples and court
house cupolas and prison walls should
either awaken conscience or punish it,
If it be true that a misstatement is not
q lie when made to some one who is not
entitled to know the truth.