The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-03-07
BROKEN PROMISES
Hasty Pledges and Broken Promises Cause of
Much Misery in the World
Garter II. Harrison, in Good Citizen

Uo given IOr uOG keeping IL. Luis law
is so powerful in it's force that those
who respect themselves and their own
word are never hasty in pledging them
selves. They think three or four times,
or more, before the word is given which
they feel they must keep after they
passed it. Hasty promises, hasty agree
ing to what moments thought would
show could not be done, make great
deal of misery in this world.
A rather youthful acquaintance of
mine borrowed twenty-five cents from
comrade with the promise that he would
pay it back the next afternoon. The
appointed time for payment came, but
the loan was not returned, the result was
this: The one who had given the money
did not suffer particularly because so
small an amount was not repaid, it was
not the money question which troubled
him. He suffered because his comrade
did not keep his word. or being unable
to keep it, did not come frankly and
offer an explanation.
Two boy friends whose love for each
other might have continued through all
life drifted apart. One had lost some
of his confidence in human nature; he
was not as trusting as he had been be-
fore, and the other in his own heart
knew that he had not lived up to the
truth. Although what he had taken
and pledged himself for was a very
small amount as money goes, the sting
of his action was not the borrowed
money, but his own loss of self-respect.
He had pledged and not made good
None of us has the right to do that
which destroys faith in ourselves and
the faith which others have in US. Lit
tie faith in this world would be de-
stroyed if we did not hastily promise
and then not keep the pledge. After
many years of experience in private and
public life l have not varied an impress
sion which 1 formed in my boyhood.
Go slow in promises, don't give them
unless you mean to keep them, make
the truth your closest friend.
I can imagine where, if one broke
only single promise in lifetime, no
serious harm might be done. If we
would stop after we realized we had not
kept our word and never do the wrong
again, atonement would be ample. But
the great pity Of starting to break an
obligation is that we repeat the offense
over again and again and finally the
chickens come home to roost" One
lie begins to travel, one broken promise
starts on its way, then another and
another, and after time they start
back again for their place of origin.
They finally strike most severely, injure
the most, not the innocent ones they
first affected, but the one who first be.
trayed his word with another. The
breaker of promises reaps inevitable
harvest of punishment.
In the nine years that have governed
over two million people of a great city
and the twenty years that have been
in public feel nothing has impressed
me more forcibly the amount of misery
and ruin that young and old cause for
themselves through giving hasty prom
ises or not keeping pledge at all. l
will not give promise in any matter
unless have thoroughly thought over
what have to pledge myself to what
responsibilities l assume, what it will
cost me and others to keep my word.
When l have considered all phases Of
the possible consequences of my pledge,
then either give my word or refuse it.
This is the only safe way to protect
ones own honor.
A false impress exists in many minds
that quick and free promising of any,
thing is form of generosity. 1t is not;
it is form of bitter selfshness. A
quick promiser, one who does not stop
to think of the long train of hard cir
cumstances that may follow a broken
promise fails to see that not alone is he