The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-03-14
So Persia is to have a constitutional

form of Government. Well, the mex
thing we'll be hearing about this an
Gent seat of the human race is that
truthful native has at last been touno
within its boundaries.
Everybody who is at all conversan'
with Persian ways is positive IN MS
declaration that the Persian mar Is
omnipresent and the greatest OF all
his kind. One man who lived the
greater part of his life in Persia bears
testimony that the "people lie as long
as they can find lies to tell after
which they may, from accident or
necessity, once or twice speak the
truth" This voices the sentiments OF
missionaries, travellers, soldiers, dip
lomats and others who have ever had
any dealings whatsoever with Per-
SLAMS on their native soil-or off OF 1T,
for that matter.
Take Pride in Lying.
The Persians themselves take not
little pride in being such accomplished
liars. The eldest son of the shah was
one time recounting, for the benefit OF
an English friend, the remarkable
feats that he reformed while on
hunting expedition. When his royal
highness had finished and the Eng
lishman had failed to Join in the APP
plause he was asked by his host why
he was silent.
Because | don't believe all that
happened, " was the enthusiastically
blunt British reply.
The prince laughed heartily.
"You are right. 1t is lie, " he
said and his whole attitude was that
of having told an exceedingly clever
one.
You can call Persian liar with
impunity. He never thinks of being
insulted. Instead, he smiles blandly
at you and goes right on spinning
bigger lie than before, if it is possible
for him to do so.
The national characteristic not only
causes foreigners a deal of trouble I'M
Til they learn by experience to doubt
the word of every Persian; it also OPP
crates to make every Persian distrust-
full of his own flesh and kin even. One
result is that the natural wealth OF the
country is undeveloped, distrust being
so universal that Persians will not
band together in large companies to
carry on enterprises of any sort.
Taught Lying in the Cradle.
Every Persian is taught from the
cradle that it is meet and proper for
him to deny his faith for safety sake.
This religious training has undoubt-
eddy operated to make the Persians a
nation of unmitigated liars. The phi
losophy of the thing is obvious. If it
is right to deny ones faith for safety's
sake then it is undoubtedly right to
tell a lie when it will lead to personal
advantage. And if person begins to
lie for convenience sake it will not be
long before he will be lying for pleas
ure's sake, or lying simply because
his tongue has forgotten how to speak
the truth.
One of the most frequently quoted OF
Persian proverbs runs: ga liar is an
enemy of God" Yet the Persians
think that Allah loves them above all
other true believers. This only serves
to clinch the belief that Persians are
the worlds worst liars.
The Comic Opera Master Mason.
Latin-America has been damned as
the land of liars and tomorrow. 1t is
already clear that at least another
portion of the globe has mighty
plethora of truth haters. Nor is Latin
America bit more devoted to man
ana" than Persia.
Everybody, from the shah down,
puts off even the most pressing work
until tomorrow. "Please God, tomor-
row." meets the ear on all sides.
When any task is by chance under
taken it is pursued in distressingly
leisurely fashion; so much so that
building is not known anywhere on
the Iranian plateau. and that unsus-
pecting foreigner who starts to rear
roof over his head is all but ready for
an insane asylum before he is half
through with the job.
1t takes two fellahs Caborers) to fill
a hod with earth. 1t takes them a full
minute to handle a spadeful of earth
apiece. While third fellah carries
off the dirt the other two converse po-
litely until the hod is once more placed
before them. Then they exchange fe-
licitations with the returned brother
and when they can't think of anything
else to say they gravely begin filling
the hod.
When master mason is finally ca
io1ed. threatened or bribed into TAX