The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-03-06
HAS BRIEF FOR
MOMEN'S lies
Mrs. W. K. Peck Explains
in Interesting Paper How
Women Have Been Driv-
en- to Mendacity.
CATALOGUES ALL LIES
Paper Read Before Meeting of the D.
A. B. on Monday Afternoon Revives
Age-old Problem of veracity-so-
ciety Elects Delegates.

ITO lie or not to lie," that was sSths
question = and it was ably discussed by
Mrs. William K. Peck in a paper read
before the regular monthly meeting of
the Kenosha chapter of the Daughters
of the American Revolution held on
Monday afternoon at the home of Mrs.
George II. Allen on Prairie avenue. 1t
followed the regular business session of
the meeting at which the Mines. Fran
ces G. Simmons, George H. Allen, II.
K. Gebhart and Harry Skinkle were
elected as delegates of the local chapter
to attend the national meeting of the
order in Washington soon.
The paper of the afternoon by Mrs.
Peck was one which might well cause
the favorable comment which greeted it.
1t was written several years ago to be
read before the Chicago Literary So
ciety, but had been brought up to date
by the writer and was as appropriate
today as it was at its first reading.
It was a splendid combination of wit
and philosophy which held the listeners
llhteI6SI0Q IN the SUBJECT
The paper paid especial attention to
the mendacious reputation which has
been assigned to women and which ac-
cording to the writer, has been forced
upon them. Mrs. Peck recalled the
statement that the psalmist had made
in his wrath that call men are lairs"
and even added to it by admitting that
women might have been included in the
indictment. She explained, however,
that the lies told by women, while they
may be more numerous, are not nearly
so malicious as those told by members
Of the stronger sex. She also defended
women on the ground that they had
been forced to adopt lying as q defen-
sive measure and that as soon as they
had. been given equality before the law
and in society they would raise men
to their high standard and "there
would be no more lying and paradise
would be found on earth.''
Mrs. Peck gave an interesting account
Of the attitude held by great men of
the ages n regard to the necessity of
truth and the ever present evil of ly-
ing from the time that Moses was hand
ed the first "Thou shalt not" against
the malicious falsehood through the COM
ment of Bacon, who compared the lie
to the "alloy used with metals" to the
present day when it has become COM
mon practice. She reminded her hear
ers that the wrong which could be done
by lie today could be increased many
times by the press over what Ananias
or the great Munchausen had oppor-
tunities to do in their day.
The paper, in very entertaining
way, did not sermonize but it held out
unequivocally for the truth as the only
safe foundation upon which to build.
1t prophesied that if the same punish
ment would always be meted out to
falsehood, it would soon cease but Ia
mented the fact that some men for their
"lying" are fined a "dollar and
costs'' while others for their s'menda-
city" are hailed as diplomats. The
paper was filed with interesting refer
ences to literature and psychology
brought out with rare wit and subtlety
which pleased all of those who heard it.
Following the regular program the
meeting Of the society was given over
to social hour and the inform1 plan
ming for the varied activities of the
Kenosha chapter. The next meeting
which is to be held on April the
seventh is to be devoted to some of the
problems of reconstruction of the pres
ent day as eontrasted to those which the
Revolutionary Fathers faced in 1888.