The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-01-20

Etymologists and antiquarians diff
fer as to whether the proverb origin
ally stood Figures can lie like poll
ticians'' or Politicians can lie like fig
ures." Undoubtedly a large measure
of distrust has been the lot of both
classes, and the elaborate calculations
of the monomaniac who can prove to
a mathematical certainty that perpet-
ual motion is possible have been re-
ceiyed with the same lack Of enthus-
assn as the prediction promises of
The candidate of the party in power.
Yer, in another sense, figures receive
more confidence than they really de-
serve, and seem to possess some mys-
teal power that compels respect.
Treachery of the Ciphers.
The difference seems to be in the
clphers. Meaningless as these occa-
sionally are, they acquire strange and
portentious dignity when on the right
hand side of integers, says the Brook
Ign Eagle. There must be spell
about round numbers" People who
would think twice if you mentioned
the sum of nine hundred thousand,
nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars
and ninety eight cents do not even
blink when the sum of million dol
lars is mentioned A million-that is
only one word and passes without
challenge. A detailed statement of
what million actually is would
arouse more thought.
The recent action of the tax board
is a case in point. Men who had gone
to sleep relying upon the majesty OF
the law to protect their persons and
their possessions, awoke to find that
overnight they had been transformed
into millionaires-and worse. 1t was
so easy for the assessors. million
Why, what is million between
friends? Every man who has little
more than his neighbors is spoken OF
Familiarity as millionaire, and thus
we seem to get upon easy terms not
only with the word but with the actual
wealth itself. For more than one rea-
son 1t was easier to assess a man 1or
million than for the amount of per-
sonal property he actually possessed.
Even more striking is the case In
regard to the recent war loans and the
general financial situation abroad
When the entente powers borrowed
only $500, 900 from us we were sur
prised that they were content WITH
such a tiny loan-our sense of wonders
has become dulled by the huge figures
we have seen before us in the papers
Five hundred million dollars"-tha'
can make very little impression upor
us when statisticians have told us no"
many million of dollars the war If
costing the nations every day, ano
when the ultimate cost of the confhc'
with the direct and indirect losses Il
has caused will reach, we are In
formed, into the billions and trilllons
A paltry half billion can evoke only
smile from us under such circum
stances--not, however, that any Oh III
would smile If he discovered that
five-dollar bill were missing from MI
trousers pocket. But that hve-doiial
bill, aside even from the fact that
belongs to us, represents something
definite and concrete, while the billions
and trillions in the air are only WORDS
the meaning and significance OF which
we do not truly comprehend.
So perhaps 1t is not the figures tina
deceive, but the words. We are no
really the dupes of the good sturdy IN
tegers, but Of the round, deceptive cl
piers and Of the words that represen
them. Let us take, as an example