The Topeka state journal., 1905-12-03


confession. giving the whole truth to
the world Then he went his way to
another bedside where a beloved son.
nome from college vas l5ang near the
on went this, doctor eEs the good sresoIu-
ton until the end OF the dag doing all
in the power of science tQr rich and
poor alike eonceaiang nothing laying
one community Was 1il 2 turmoil. A
mass meeting OF eifizehs was held to
protest against the QElihcation of the
character Of their great bene1actor
their rich man dead a committee of
citizens called at-Ehe home OF the phy-
siciau with a prepared statement for
him to attest, a lie more pleasant than
the TRUTH q VindicatfOn OF the dead and
a libel upon the living. In their wrath
the people hanged the good physician
i'm efhgy on the streets. He was shun-
ned, despised. He had learned at the
cost of his practice and ali he held dear
the lesson of the fmpossfbility of truth
OF the lawyer who tells the truth we
know not in the mistiest fable Y ct our
fine professional gentleman eXaits him
self and is exalted for the honorable
life he leads He, too, is part of
this strange social structure
Do clergymen lie? Their pulpit ut
terances need not be discussed. Prob
ably most of them are sincere. at least,
in their religious preach1ngs. Yet
which of them all. the greatest or the
-At- % W -NAA AEAI AAfNrAI% RI N
to his congregation Which of them
all dares to strike a blow at the bot
tom of social rottennesS sparing none,
making bold, plain speech, telling the
truth of all within his visiOn2 Let such
a man stand forth.
Not many years ago a nation was
clamoring for action upon the fields of
war. A navy was lying at anchor, and
a foreign fleet was somewhere on the
sea. A great president was beset by a
( of nHIEEDgn g0TFaEnnnnRnfE
asking why more vigorous action was
not taken. And it is credibly reported
that this revered man, now resting
from his labors forever, called some
trusted journalists to his side and ex-
pressed this sentiment:
fThe nation must not know, nor
must our foe, and you must not tell
( them. Our ammunition factories are
working day and night. We are un-
prepared with powder to burn. When
we get powder we viii burn it; mean
time, gentlemen, you know the reason,
and put you upon your honor"
Deceit was it nOt2 A great president
I decelvlng a great nation over which
/ he ruled. Yet it was perfectly defen-
sible. Tt was as near to the truth as ii
( was possible for President Mckinley to
go with his people at d time so critical.
/ The instance is repeated only to show
/ the necessity for deceit in the world
/ higher up.
But of this sort of deceit, the deceit
I Of necessity, professional or diplomatic
/ the lie that IS told ostensibly for the
J benefit of mankind, there is not sc
/ great a fault to find. 1t is a. direct
/ Outgr0Wth of our wrong start, but we
( need worry little about it. 1t is the lie
! that is lived in the strata. of society
/ and by society itself, from our tene-
I mentS to Our. palaces of Midas wealth
/ the lie tnat has rotted the very souls
of men and women; that is like a fes
terlng sore-that false exterior which
! ma keS further and further towards th'
most bestial forms of degeneracy and
threatens our very national existence
that is the lie that is wrong witt
society.
A little boy is told of a. pot Of goIc
at the tail of the rainbow. He rushe.
off into the fields, chasing, stumbling
chasing on, never nearing his goal, un
til the rainbow yanishes, and he drops
exhausted, lost. His parent finds hi
weary body and carries it home Thl
young man of today sees the picture o
wealth, and like the little boy start
after the happiness he believes lie
in the attainment of riches. The younf
woman reads of riches, of jewels anC
crowns, and the glamor of it all start
her on the wild chase. Conscience f
deadened- The lesson Of deceit Learned
in the cradle develops. The race goe
on.
Picture the child born in the povert-
Of the farm, in the dull, stupid environ
ment Of village life, in the tenements
where poverty reaches its saddest lin
it's See a young girl whose beauty i
/ counterpart Of natures excellence
! sisters of less beauty, of less moral an,
mental equipment are living lives o
ease, women of society, queens in
I I realm which to this poor deluded crea
ture is heaven itself. She is taught Il