Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-25

, same thing in the same way. We may
agree on the simple concrete fact-that
this is stone. for instance, or that this Is
wood, or this is iron-but as soon as we
get away from that we begin TO reaiize
that the truth is impossible
After all, we have only opinions, and
the weaknesses and imperfections of our
physical structure are modified by the re-
suits of individual environment. AS TO
heredity, this modification goes back TO
the beginning of man. As to our own ex-
istence, il involves every mouthful we
have ever eaten or drunk, every hour we
have slept, every word we have ever heard
spoken, every line we have ever read, ev-
erything we have ever seen. 1t also in
wolves every circumstance under which
our physical and moral, as well as INTEL
Iectual, being has been developed.
Aware of this human imperfection, we
do not call one liar who does not tell
the truth, unless we conceive the idea that
he is classifying knowingly and wilfully,
with full knowledge of the truth. When
men take an oath in law 1t is to tell the
truth to the best of their knowledge and
belief With this reservation, we receive
the expert testimony of doctors and hand
writing experts, as well as the rest VINO
disagree for what 1t is worth.
It would be we'll to have some knowl-
edge of the antecedents of Ananias and
Munchausen before entering condemna-
ton. 1 would like to know about Ana
Mas mother, and whether she punished
him as a child for owning up or threaten
ed him until he resorted to successfuI ly-
ing to save himself from licking /
would like to know whether Munchausen
was boy OF sluggish temperament, for
lying in children has been attributed to
deficient circulation of the blood.
But there were liars before Ananias,
and greater since Munchausen. We have
colossal liars in our day that would
throw a shade of conservatism about
these ancient landmarks. The interesting
question is, What makes them? Are the
fairy story, the old nursery tales, the
example Of the parents responsible? Is 1t
deficient circulation? Is it physical,
mental or moral defect? If so, Is it avoid
able?
Does the origin lie at the door Of the
mother who sends down word that she
is mot at home or tells the conductor
that her ten-year-old child Is under FIVE
to save a nickel? OR tells her visitors how
glad she is to see them when the chill
dren know that she is angry all the way
through? Have the fiction of Santa Claus
or the pleasantries of the first day of
April anything to do with raising liars
from birth2
we have all heard of the man who
truth for cash" 1t is but the commercial
way of characterizing the man who lies
from fixed habit, with no apparent rea-
son. In the commencement of his lying ca
reer he probably had reasons, then came
to the conclusion that lie well stuck to
is Just as good as the truth, and thus nat
urally gravitated toward lying from sheer
indifference and to final preference.
But abnormal vanity is mostly RESPONSE
bic for lying, just as it is for notoriety
through other means. Abnormal vanity
leads to the commission of horrible
crimes. 1t is not love of the crime, but of
the notoriety that is secured from the
deed. What is mere lying to the man
who would kill a president or king or
murder a queen for the sake OF notorie-
ty? 1t comes cheaper.
Thus certain men viii confess to COM
hitting crimes of which they are inno-
cent for the mere sake of the notOriety.
It viii be difficult for many to UNDER
stand such vanity apart from the ques-
ton of insanity. There are numerous
cases Of confessions to crimes by persons
who have been proved innocent. Their
abnormal vanity has been stimulated by
the reading of great crimes and seeing the
pictures Of criminals in the papers Too
cowardly to actually commit the crimes
themselves, they desire to reap the benefit
of the notoriety by assuming the respon-
sibility. They commit a crime in their
mind, brooding over the thing until they
come to believe that they actually did II.
There have been so many of such cases
that the police authorities are rarely de-
ceived by the pretenders very long.
The case of Doughty, who claimed to
have murdered Latimer, is recent. He is
said to belong to an excellent family. An
other case was that of a very respectable
citizen of New York, who made similar
confession on the railroad coming up from
the south. The police records TEEN with
such cases. 1t is the same disease that
makes boy burglars and causes mere
children to assasinate their playmate.
But lying comes less dear, for there Is
bodily safety at the end of the trial.
The anarchist is the great egotist of
modern society. He is a living lie. For
men lie by act as well as by mouth and
by the pen All who live double lives are
effective liars All who sail under false
colors of any kind, even though the pre-
tension be an innocent one-for it is not
necessary that lie should be important
ARE simply and purely liars All who
act insincerely IN any way are plain and
substantial liars. And the living lie is
contemplate, mean, low down, despicable,
scoundrelly, in proportion as it deceives
and Injuries or is intended to deceive and
injure others.
II lying is a disease it is more common
than bad colds and more contagious than
yellow fever. And it is incurable. once
a liar, always a liar.
To lie is human-to tell the truth, divine.
rr.oas. carsa,arffIa ,,ositiveIv curas even