The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-06-21

tongue the only lie that does harm.
Is the story of malignant falsehood
which never stops the only sort of
untruth that we should avoid and
disdain? think not. That knowing
look, or that evasive answer, or that
suspicion OF smile. which we all
can use and have seen, all three are
parties TO too frequent lies that we
dare not utter. The knowing look
has struck fear to many a trusting
heart. The evasiye answer has caught
away the faith Of not a few be-
smile has shattered confidence IN
many a character ere this. They
say" and some one told me so" are
the unholy parents OF goddess host
OF lies. Here is a mother who has
asked for good news Of her boy, only
to receive that mean and false eva
sive answer that leaves so much un-
said and so much TO be implied. The
implication kills her trust.
Here Is the man who paints to you
the virtue OF friend You give to
him that knowing look, as IL TO say,
and you, too, trust him, poor fool"
and confidence Is gone. The dainty
maiden with her heart so full OF love
recounts to you the nobleness of the
man she loves, and you give to her
smirk. OF course you've said moth
ing, perhaps you know nothing to
contradict her view, but you smile
and the light Of her life Is dimmed
Lies by consent, perhaps, falsehoods
by implication no doubt they are;
but before the judgment bar of God
they shall be termed "unclean."
But thus far our talk has been
largely negative. Let us approach
our topic for moment from the posi-
tive point. The command not to
speak evil Of our neighbor when re-
vised In the light Of the life of Christ
becomes a positive demand for strict
adherence TO the truth. The sense
of the obligation to be true and to
live true is at the base of all indi-
vidual and social life and advance
ment. No man can lie to himself
and be a party TO his own uplift-
ment. To move ahead and into uni
son with God we must be true to
our personalities. The desire to
obey the pure dictates of good con-
science is the beginning of individual
advance. We cannot be untrue TO
self and true to men and to God.
The agreement of each man by and
with himself, to be consistent with
the demands Of his highest inner
light is the basis Of social credit.
The power Of credit, that is TO say,
Credibility or trustworthiness cam
not be too much remarked. Credit
or the assurance we have of the hone
esty and reliability of individuals OF
companies of men, whether firms or
nations, is the foundation upon
which political systems are built. We
could not do business nor conduct a
government for day were it not for
this great and fundamental principle
of human life: that credit-that is
to say, honor and truth-must be
maintained. For how long think you
would the fabric of our state remain
intact were mutual faith destroyed
and credit given up? The elaborate
business system to which we point
with pride will be a wretched thing
of the past so soon as personal and
social honesty is removed. Imman-
uel Kant regarded falsehood as the
forfeiture Of human personal worth,
destruction of personal integrity"
and another forceful thinker has de-
clared that credit rests on the gen.
eral social virtue of truthfulness."
Truthfulness is necessary to the
maintenance of personal integrity.
Integrity is unity with our best
ideals. To say it short-perSonal in
tegrity is the individual recognition
OF the necessity for personal unity
unity in personality if you will. The
man of integrity is the man whose
mind and heart and actions are at
one. His conscience is the arbiter OF
his deeds. Disintegration comes with
the denial of the rights of con-
science-that is to say, of the voice
of reasonable truth. The disinte-
grated man is a man without integ-
rity, whose life is a tumble at the
best or whose conscience and deeds
when at their worst are disreputable
and a discredit to self and society.
Be true to self! Be yourself! Main-
tain your personal integrity. Be
unified soul growing in the nuture
of the Spirit into the stature OF
Christ.
Thus only can personal TRUTHFUL
ness be maintained and social credit
be assured support. The best indi-
vidual Is the one whose integrity 10
unauestioned. The only sound gov
ernmental and political system Is
that which is rested upon that social
credit which has its roots in personal
unity with the truth OF God.
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