The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1901-09-06
WHEN IS A LIE NOT A LIE?

sleeps.
WHEN IS A LIE NOT A LIE?
Chicago Tribune.
"When is a lie not iie?" is the
which e. Benjamin An.
drews, chancellor of the University of
proposed to the students of
the University of Chicago The
answer involves a. point Of ethics
about which there is some Inference
of opinion.
DR.. Andrews is supported by "a
number of Chicago ministers in his
answer, that lie is not lie when it
is "a white lie." He takes the view
that it is better to state untruths in
an honest purpose than to state the
facts with malicious intent. His
contention is supported by ethica
leaders who fill the pulpits of Chicago
churches. His principle is character
lied by others as dangerous.
Mr.. Andrews goes even further
than he did in his address to the stu
dents.
ut is certainly justiaable," sale
DR.. Andrews, "to preach a creed a
part of which you do not approve OF
to listen to a minister say things you
do not like. When the motive is good
all Is done for the ultimate
end--it is well, but when it is done
hypocritically, for social position OF
for money it is not to be endured.
"a preacher who breaches for a
salary alone is too mean to live. He
ought to be hung and quartered and
his biography written by his worst
enemy. 1t is impossible to enunciate
Il creed with which every one will
agree in all particulars.
Cancellation is necessary for any
great number of people to agree to
hyms, creed or liturgy. l would
throw out many of the hymns if
had anything to do with it. Other
people would throw out Others and
soon we would have an entire new set
of hymns, and they would be as un-
as the first. We cannot
get an ideal eXpurgation. DO not
leave church because you do not be-
Iieve 10 all of it's details. A preacher
may use a prayer book any of whose
tenets lie does not believe, if the mo.
tive is right"
DR.. Andrews also found justifca-
tiOn for the society woman who says
she is not at home when she does not
wish TO receive some one who calls.
"This is a conventional misstate-
mept," he said. (which is not meant
to deceive anybody and rarely does.
1t is a lie that does not lie and there
seems to be little harm in it,"
"Another of the conventional lies
that we have in the complimentary
closing of letters. We say yours
truly when we mean nothing of the
sort. If Admiral Schley should write
to Admiral Sampson he would prob.
ably sign himself Your obedient SER
want, but he would not mean that and
Admiral Sampson would know he did
not mean it. These conventional
things mean about as much as the
amen at the end of prayer, 1t just
simply means that we are through.
"How may one know when he has d
right to deceive? Do not deceive be
cause you wish to save your own ba
con nor for any advantage of y0ul
own. DO not form habit or ihcli
nation to deceive, but there arc times
when it is. perfectly proper to deceive
to some extent when the object of tht
deception is justitlable. No seltlsl
object can be justifable."
Those who believe with Mr.. An
drews say that one of the best ex
ampes of the lie that Is not u lie Il
the nun in Lies Miserables." Victor
Hugo portrays u spotless character
one who had never told Il lie. she Is
brought to face the question OF what
constitutes a lie when the searchers
asked her II Jean Vatican IS hldden
in the house. Her answer is no ano
SO far as tho statements d the facts
voes, she has told lie. Chicago nen
who stand for the strictest principles
OF ethics believe that Victor Hugo
pictured an honest woman In the nun
Tie Bishop, too, In the story tcl!'
an untruth, and yet neither DR.. An
drews nor those who agree with hin
on ethics will admit that the bishn
told 4 lie. When the Bishop was asN
01I1 161n Yn|1oon hao afo|e9. Ne