The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-09-17
DEGREES OF HONESTY.

Purists sometimes declare that there are
no degrees of honesty or dishonesty; that
there is sharp line of demarcation, and
that an act must be either honest or dis
honest without any qualification. This
may be true as matter Of theory, but IN
practice the world finds it necessary to rec
ognize degrees of honesty or dishonesty
In the interest of morality it would perhaps
be best to recognize only degrees of dis
honesty. But the man of affairs recognizes
degrees of honesty. He knows men who
are honest only because they believe it is
the best policy; he knows others who are
honest because they have never known
temptation to be otherwise, and he knows
others-the select few-who are honest by
instinct and who could not be tempted to
deal unfairly. If we chose to do so, we can
class the latter as the only honest folk and
treat all others as dishonest in varying
degrees, but it is just as logical to recog-
nize degrees Of honesty. The man who is
honest as mere matter Of policy is, OF
course, not to be trusted, for he is liable at
any time to think that his interest requires
him to be dishonest, and then there is
nothing to hold him to the truth. The man
who is honest because he has not been
TEMPTED sufficiently is also in the doubtful
list, for at any momentthe tempter may ar
rive with enough to overcome his scrupe5
Strictly speaking, therefore, the only hon
est man, Notwithstanding this recognition
of degrees, is the man who is honest by
instinct and who cannot be otherwise eX
cept by surrender of his own self-respect
That is the kind of honesty to be inculcatec
and cultivated. 1t is an easy matter tt
persuade people not to commit highway
robbery or burglary. The fear of punish
ment is sufficient to deter them. They car
be persuaded not to indulge in swindlins
operations by showing them that swindline
does not pay in the long run, good reputa
ton being necessary to success in bust
ness dealings. But their honesty ough
to result from some higher sentiment thar
a desire for their own welfare. 1t is neve
surely grounded unless they are homes
because it is right to deal fairly and be-
cause they cannot be contented in mine
knowing that they have done wrong to an.
man. It is honesty of this kind that i
marked off clearly from the obsbures
forms of dishonesty, and there may be il
it no degrees, but in the practical affairs O
the world the degrees are recognized, an
one man is marked Al and another BIZ a
merclal agencies. The aim of all me-
should be to get an Al reference fror
every person with whom be has any deal
ings, and this he can do only by settin
for himself high ideal to which he sha
be true irrespective of any temptations tina
may beset him or any apparent advantag
to be derived from any opposite course
His own conscience must be his chief guide
That being satisfied, he can defy the worlc
TO such man there will, in truth, be n
degrees of honesty. Every act will b
either right or wrong, and the test will b
his own sense of equity and justice. B,
the world will, nevertheless, recognize thu
there are degrees of honesty and of dis
honesty; that some men can be truste
not to pick ones pocket; that others wi
deal fairly in business transactions, an
that still others can be relied upon to dis
charge trust with perfect fidelity. TIL
degrees will always exist, although thel
should be only one ideal set before me-
that of absolute honesty.