The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-04-10
rAE Truth ABOUT LES.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES.
A Sunday or two ago the Rev DR.
Parkhurst preached nofabie sermon
on the subject Of lies. He made no
discrimination between the so-called
white lies and the vicious and in
fernal falsehoods told for personal
profit and advantage The habit Of
"amiable fctions" 10 smooth the
rough places in the social highways
he denounced as the direct forerunner
of base. deceit; and he charged the
white Hes of the drawing room with
instiliing into the minds Of a great
many people a disregard for truth and
a settled laxity of speech and morals
Dr Parkhurst is extreme; but IN
the main he is right 1t may be that
there are persons who can properly
distinguish between an innocent
and a vicious falsehood II may be
that some would go to the stake be-
fore they would tell a commercial lie.
although expert in social falsehood
This is conceivable. But It is not
probable. Sincerity is "A habit The
mind callous to nice distinctions of
truth is not apt TO combat with great
success a strong temptation to selfish
falsehood He who constantly yio-
lates truth in small matters loses
respect for it, The whoie moral ma
ture unconsciously suffers. The Phil
adelphia Record. commenting on Dr.
parkhursts remarks. doubts If social
life In this world of depravity would
tie possible in palace Of truth" It
denies that the habit of smoothing the
rough places Of the social track by
amiable hctions has begotten a toler-
ance Of base lying We must take
issue with The Record For the stub
born fact remains that those persons
who are noted for commercial frank
ness and integrity are 10 say the least
OF It, the olumsiest in social fictlons,
ard IN many instances manage to
scrape along without any white lies
at AL Fiuency and ingenuity Of de-
ceit, even IN matters of everyday po-
likeness, are not hallmarks OF sincerity
The clever drawing room liar can not
hope TO impress his hearers as a.
model Of truthfuiness on change
Hence It is that while recognizing the
important place which innocent
falsehoods7 occupy in our distorted
social economy, We nevertheless de-
plore IT,
After all has been said. what goo
office do tbese white lies really
serve? They are ostensibly designed
20 smooth the social track" and to
further the happiness and comfort of
people in civilized intercourse wiri
each other But do they really ac-
complish this obiect9 Do they not, in
fact complicate matters instead OF
smoothing them? DO they not involve
the whole social world ia maze OF
falsehood. where truth and lies are
so hopelessly mingled that there had
as well be no such thing as truth for
those who try TO find it within those
limits? The system OF harmless
falseaood' does more. l. degrades
the entire fabric Of society, convert
ing it into hollow masquerade
whose actors play each their parts as
In some frivolous comedy, none trust
ing. none believing.
We are not attempting TO map out
any ethical reforms. Nor do we wish
20 indulge in cheap cynicism at the
expense Of "society''--that vulnerable
lay figure which any one may attack
and nobody needs 70 defend
We admit thai there ere "amiable
lctiops" which need not, and. indeed
should not be abolished But those
are those which are so threadbare and
conventional that they decelye nobaly
and are not intended 20 DO So. The
intention 70 actually deceive IS. after
all the best OF falsehood I.ies may
vary as 10 shade and color Some
may be white and others black But
II strikes us THAR the difference is.
after all, a matter Of color rather than