Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-04-26
ARE MEN GRAFTERS BY BIRTH.
Or Are They Dishonest BY circum'
stance and Environment?

Are men liars, thieves, swindlers
and grafters by birth, or by circum-
stance and environment? Still fur
ther-are all men born dishonest, so
that honest ones are simply those
that have had the taste for swindling
trained out Of them? An editorial
writer in American Medicine looking
at 1t from a scientific standpoint con-
cludes that the whole problem is yet
unsolved. He denies that the raising
Of such a question implies pessimism,
or as an evidence Of dishonest ten
denotes. More than one thinking man,
he says, who is brought in close con-
tact with other men and their affairs,
will occasionally ask himself, what
| is honesty" He goes on:
"Is 1t education and training, or is
| it a product Of civilization that man
has evolved for the protection Of him
self and his belongings? Let those
answer who can. The whole matter
| Is relative, for the values are as varia-
BILE as people. Standards are constant
| ly changing and the honest deeds of
yesterday may be the dishonest acts
Of tomorrow No better illustration
could be brought forward than the
| sober statement Of an honorable gen.
| tleman concerning the recent grave
scandals at Albany. He never denied
| the giving and taking Of bribes to
| kill legislative bills, but simply said
| 1T was the custom at that time, and
nobody looked at it as we do now
adays.'
within the last few years there
has been a notable moral unrest
among all classes Of people and the
resulting Investigations in politics,
railroad and insurance management,
and countless other fields of activity
have shown that our most honorable
and honest citizens have been guilty
Of acts that in their ultimate analy-
sis seem questionable, If not actually
criminal To a goodly proportion Of
these men an accusation Of dishonesty
would have been an insult. If they,
as insurance presidents, maintained
expensive lobbies and paid for legis-
lative protection or immunity, they
were but serving their policyholders,
the widows and orphans. If as direc-
tors of railroads they gave rebates and
protected themselves in divers ways
against legislative brigandage, they
also were but safeguarding the inter-
ests Of their stockholders. And so 1t
went all down the line. The people
kept certain men in office because
they made good in serving their con-
SlllueIlCy, SOlicSli'C-
ly The office holders traded their
votes on railroad insurance or other
matters for patronage, liberal por-
ton out Of the pork BARREL or few
more pensions. The main considera-
ton in looking at the proposition is
that no one questioned these transac-
tions. 1t was the custom; no one ex-
pected anything else. AS man who
Is respected and admired by every
one who knows him, recently said,
Nobody thought these things dishon-
est, until somebody said they were and
then everybody knew it. 1t was the
manner Of looking at these various
matters, in other words, purely ques-
ton of education. No reasonable,
fair minded man can believe for a
minute that many Of those who were
the most fragrant offenders realized
that their acts were wrong and dis
honest Most of them were men who
priced their honor, reputation and
record of success high above every
thing"
Honesty, the writer concludes, Is
largely a matter Of education and
training. but this does not mean that
we are naturally dishonest. In a
state of uneducated mentality, human
beings are neither honest no. dishon-
est. A study Of primitive people and
OF children proves this To quote
again: Honesty in it's primary or
preliminary stages IS simply social re-
ciprocity. AS the social organism be-
comes more complex. honesty like
wise extends. While in the beginning
it is of the nature of comfy between
individuals, in its more complicated
phases it takes on obligatory features.
Thus custom, usage and the law give
honesty a prominent place In the So
cial scheme, and the average individ-
ual acquires a modicum of honesty
If he never has a day Of teaching.
This, however. is the exception, and
few there are today who do not re-
ceive more or less schooling. There
are three great schools where man Is
given his education in the principles
and practice Of honeSty-the school
proper. the home. and the church.
These have collateral branches of
more or less value. All vary in efti-
cheney. so it Is not surprising that
many well-meaning individuals vary
in their knowledge and practice OF
honesty.
But here is the bright side Of the
picture: every day sees extensions or
the principles of honesty Educa-
ton is doing it. Dishonesty Is de-
creasing and the day is not far dis
tant when there will be but one
standard which every man will know,
and. knowing actice."-Literary d.