The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-11-04
IN RE LIARS f.
'Hagood's" Communication EIicits4a Sew
Remarks in Regard Thereto,

Editor The Item: I'haveTread that
article of Hagood's'' about liars: I
confess I don't understand it, i. e.,
Just what he is kicking about. -,
Now, I regret to take issue2''witf
Hagood. for the reason that his wife
will be alarmed. You remember her
warning! beg to assure both OF
them that I am not of the Jim Till
man kind.
There is no excuse whatever for "a
single man to lie-I mean an un3-
married man. But l respectfully SUB
nit that there is not married man
living who can place his handEon bis
heart and say he never told lle-to
his wife, either in "tone OF voice,
handshake, conduct or speech, when
he is justifable''-I do not believe 1T
is harmful sometimes it is absolute
ly necessary. I assert that if some
men told their wives the truth, the
whole truth, about everything then
there would be an increase in insanity.
suicides and disease. Why? Because
women are differently constituted.
You say men ought to SO live that they
will not have to lie to their wives.
The majority of them do; but women
have so much curiosity, inquisltlve-
ness,--a desire to be kept in the light,
that it becomes necessary to slde-track
them-to lie to them.
Why necessary?' Because women
are SO constructed that if anything
does not conform to their ideas, they
lie awake at night and imagine all
sorts of things. They lose sleep, ap-
petite and health. If you don't think
as they do, why they will worry you
to death until you do whether you do
or not. am not criticising woman.
The wife is all absorbed in the con-
duct and business of her husband.
Therefore, the least thing she consld-
ers improper in her husband she rolls
it over il her mind hundred times
and looks at it 500 ways and then 1T
becomes al enormous mountain.
Look at Elizabeth" in East
Lynne.'' Of course, all women do
not worry in married life this way
some of them use club OF a smooth
ing iron, but the majority belong to
the former class. So, it is far better
to lie, when necessary, to your wife
than to kill her by degrees-destroy
her body and mind.
There is only one mean liar-the
shiny. sneaky, snaky liar, who sugar
coats your face and fangs you IN the
back. Those kind are far worse than
Jim Till-nan or those who lied Tor
him. It is better to destroy life than
a good name and spotless character.
After that is gone, what is left?
In regard to that lie Hagood heard
the other day, and which prompted
him to write his article, will say
those kind are harmless. AS matter
of fact, there is whiskers on that lie.
But it makes me ruminate. 1t re-
minds me of storm in Texas once.
It was "norther. The suction and
velocity of the wind was so great that
it pulled all the cabs through the knoG
holes of barn and left the shelled
corn inside, but this same storm DID
greater damage when it hit the county
lire. 1t twisted it and moved 1T SO
that the line bad to be re-surveyed.,
Speaking of Texas, I am reminded
that in Sealy there was "town goat
"a large Merino William. He ate
cans, Newspapers, refase, and the
clothes every Monday off an Irish
lady's line. The husband became
tired of this. One day just after Mr.:
William had eaten several red flannel
garments the Irishman caught and
bound him hard and fast to the Gulf,
Colorado, and Santa Fe Ry. with a
grass rope. The cannon ball express
Shot out o. the woods, bell ringing
and whistle blowing when within 30
yards of the goat be belched up
red shirt and signed the engineer
down by waving it across the track.
His life was saved.
In tomorrow's issue I will give you
few more. I'm sorry that have not
the exact dates Of these occurrences.
Begood.
1910