The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-02-16
CHAPTER ".
srMpLICTrY or spEEcH.

SET Il Walcn Oh MS Ups ana his pc
Let the word be as genuine as Il
thought, as artless, as valid Thir
Justly, speak frankly.
All social relations have their roo
In mutual trust, and this trust is mai
tanned by each mans sincerity. On,
sincerity dimlnlshes, confidence
weakened, society suffers, apprehe
sion Is born. This is true In the pro
ince Of both natural and spiritual inte
ests. With people whom we distru
It Is as difficult to do business as
search for scientific truth, arrive {
religious harmony or attain to justic,
When one must first question word
and Intentions and start from the pr'
mise that everything said and write
Is meant to offer us Illusion In place o
truth, life becomes strangely compiicat
cd. This Is the case today. There 4
so much craft, so much diplomacy, u
much subtle legerdemain, that we al
have no end Of trouble to inform our
selves on the simplest subject and thu
one that most concerns us. Probably
what have just said would suffice IL
show my thought, and each ones expe
s.+s---..---,--------s~----~. sd. -.
rience might bring to Its support an
ample commentary with Illustrations
But / am none the less moved to In
slst on this point and to strengthen my
position with examples
! Formerly the means of communica.
tion between men were considerably
restricted. 1t was natural to suppose
that in perfectlng and multiplying ave
nues Of information better under
standing would be brought about Ma
tons would learn to love each other as
they became acquainted; citizens of
one country would feel themselves
bound In closer brotherhood as more
light was thrown on what concerned
their common life. When printing was
invented the cry arose, "Flat luxr and
with better cause when the habit of
reading and the taste for newspapers
increased. Why should not men have
reasoned thus: 1.-TWO lights illumine
better than one, and many better than
two, The more periodicals and books
there are the better we shall know
what happens, and those who wish to
write history after us will be right
fortunate. Their hands will be full
Of documents" Nothing could have
seemed more evident.
Alas, this reasoning was based upon
the nature and capacity OF the instru-
ments without taking into account the
human element always the most Inn
portant factor! And what has really
come about Is thls--that cavIlers, ca
and crooks, all gentlemen
glib Of tongue, who know better than
any one else how to turn voice and pen
10 account, have taken the utmost adj
Of these extended means for
thought, with the result
That the men of our times have the
greatest difficulty In the world to know
he truth about their own age and their
1wn affairs. For every newspaper that
fosters good feeling and good under
between nations by trying to
rightly inform It's neighbors and to
study them without reservations, how
many spread defamation and dlstrust!
What unnatural and dangerous cur
rents of opinion set in motion! What
false alarms and malicious interpreta-
ions OF words and facts! And In do
nestle affairs we are not much better
Informed than in foreign. AS to COM
nercial, Industrial and agricultural in
.erests, political parties and social
endencles or the personality of public
men, 1t Is alike difficult to obtain dis.
opinion. The more newspa-
lers one reads the less clearly he sees
II these matters. There are days when
Ifter having read them all, and admit
ing that he takes them at their word, |
he reader finds himself obliged to draw |
his conclusion: Unquestlonably moth
ng but corruption can be found any
onger; no men of integrity except a
ew journalists But the last part of |
he conclusion falls in its turn. 1t ap-
ears that the chronlclers devour each
ther. The reader has under his eyes
spectacle somewhat like the cartoon
1tltled "The Combat of the Serpents."
fter having gorged themselves with
around them the reptiles
II upon each other, and there remain
ION the field of battle two tails.
And not the common people alone
q this embarrassment, but the cult 1
ted also; almost everybody shares It.
politics, finance, business, even In a
lence, art, literature and religion, a
ere is everywhere disguise, trlckery, Q
re pulling one truth for the public, '
other for the initiated. The result is =
at everybody is deceived. It is vain c
be behind the scenes on one stage.
man cannot be there ON them all,
ID the very people who deceive others {
Ith the most ability are In turn de- +
iyed when they need to count upon c
e sincerity of their nelghbors. t
The result Of such practices Is the s
graduation of human speech. 1t Is de- }
AIDED first In the eyes OF those who Q
lnipulate 1t as i base instrument. I
word is respected by sophlsts, s
suists and quibblers, men who are
)yed only by rage for gaining their L
int or who assume that their inter ?
IS are alone worth considering. O
leir penalty is to be forced to Judge o
lers by the rule they follow them [
yes-say what profits and not what t
true. They can no longer take any v
Q seriouslya sad state Of mind for n
use who write or teach! How light 1
must one hold his readers and hear Il
to approach them In such an atti- Il
le! To him who has preserved "
)ugh honesty nothing is more repug- s
ut than the careless irony Of an ac- a
'at Of the tongue q pen who tries Il
dupe honest and ingenious men. n
one side openness. sincerity. the o
ire to be enlightened; on the other, I,
canery making game Of the public! cl
he knows not. the liar. how far II