The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-07
TRUTH ABOUT ANANIAS.
Not an UnmitiRated Liar, but simply
DOdger of Taxes.

Communication in the Nss York sun.
Who was Gamaliel?" asked Prof
James Russell Lowell OF a student IN his
Dante class. a little mountain in Ju-
dea. came the prompt answer. In these
days when the Bible stands dusty on the
shelf every one knows of the Ananias
Club and its founder. who, being also the
committee on admissions, has modestly
declined election. although many. includ-
ing such prominent persons as Mrs.
Storer. Judges Parker and Baldwin, Mr.
Dix, and the late Mr. Hartman, have
considered him eligible and urged his
claim to membership. but astonlshingly
Few know who Ananias was and how he
achieved his fame.
The prevalent impression is that Ana
Mas was a notorious and unmitigated
liar. History does not so depict him.
II gives Us only these facts The prim-
tive Christians adopted a scheme of So
clalsm, which was quickly abandoned.
as all such schemes have been But when
1t was organized enthusiastic believers
SOLO their possessions and put them into
the common fund, administration Of
when was centralized IN apostolic hands
These contributions We're free VIII Of
ferings- In this respect they differ from
taxes, which they resembled I'm that they
were payments by individuals for the
uses OF the community. Possibly Ana
MAS did not believe In the square deal !"
Perhaps his wife. Sapphlra, was thrifty,
believed IN laying by, and exercised the
influence prudent wife should have over
an eXtravagant husband. II may be that
both doubted the eventual success Of the
socialistic plan; II so, the events justified
their prescience.
However this may be. they evidently
wished to keep up appearances with the
socialistic and progressive party OF their
day Even now some politicians are reg
ular" with mental reservation. So they
also sold their possessions and pat part
.ot the proceeds into the common fund,
but they kept back something for a rainy
day. Ii does not appear that either made
an AFFIDAVIT, or that one was necessary.
SO far as 1t appears, they were only
guilty Of that secondary and very COM
mon form OF lying, suppression Of the
truth. Very prominent, pious, and
wealthy persons Of our own time who on
general principles loudly decry dishon-
esty IN the abstract do every day what
Ananias did. He simply lodged his taxes.
But when this transpired TO the clair
vOyant vision Of ST. Peter, that impetu-
Gus saint holly rebuked the equivocatOr,
who was so ashamed that he didn't an
swer a word. He retained no astute
counsel 10 argue that there was no in
tent to deceive, and 10 demonstrated that
truth Is this to me and that TO thee, and
whether truth or falsehoOd let 1t be %
He fell down and gave up the ghost.
and the young men arose. wound
him up and carried him out and buried
him" Then. although wound up. he
nevertheless stopped going on.
The incident shows that history does
not always repeat itself. and that some
folks are luckier OF cleverer than others.
There IS precedent that allows a citizen
Of New York 10 escape taxation here by
saying in an affidavit. Il have been.
and am now, resident OF Washington, %
and subsequently 10 explain that resi-
dence and domicile are very different.
that the former depends upon intent. and
that the phrase Il am a resident" is
susceptible of the construction Il am
dOmiciled