Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-06
TEACHING HONESTY in
THE SCHOOLS.

the virtue and advantage of hon.
esty in the public schools as fol-
lows:
IAN honesty bureau the con-
ception Of President William b..
Joyce. of the National Surety com-
PAW, New York, has been organ
lied by the company for the pur
pose particularly of providing for
courses of instruction in honesty
in public schools throughout the
United States. The company is
to finance the enterprise and has
engaged DR.. William Byron For
bush, a we'll known specialist in
juvenile problems, to prepare the
printed matter which will be freely
issued by the bureau.
"Mr. Joyce's idea. it is explain
ed. is the outcome OF an inquiry
which he made among governors,
Judges and district attorneys tor
the purpose of reaching an opinion
as to what might best be done to
check the spread of crime in this
country. The movement starts
with the encouraging endorsement
of the president of the United
States, 700 city superintendent OF
schools, more than 500 bank pres
idents and so on.
"A glance at the dictionary is
helpful to an appreciation OF the
compfehensiveness of the Joyce
idea of promoting the quality or
state of being honest Among the
definitions of that adjective are:
Characterized by integrity or fair
ness and straightforwardness III
conduct, thought, speech, ETC.; up,
right; just; equitable; trustworthy
truthful; sincere: free from fraud
guile or duplicity; not false.
There could be no crime wave
where honesty as thus defined pre-
vailed. Could there be successful
business or personal advancement
In any case would there be some
thing even more worth having?
Such questions as these. pre-
sumably, DR.. Forbush and his as
~sistants with the pen and on the
lecture platform will ask and an
swer. They get to the true inward
ness of social relationship, ane
surely have a proper place in al
American educational system. An'
this is true whether or not failure
of ethical teaching in the publi'
schools has been an important fac
tor in the so-called crime wave.
It all sounds a little queer AM
freskish to US. The virtue of hon
esty has been taught in the school
and churches and courts OF tn
world for some thousands OF years
The children of a generation ag'
used to begin to learn how t
write by copying a copperplat
text which said honesty is tn
best policy" Moses engraved o
tablets of stone several thousan
wears ago the command: Tho
shalt not steal. Fire and brin
stone and the fortunes of hell hav
been shaken under the nose OF tn
youth and adults of many nation
by the church to make them homes
and keep them honest. The La
has erected many thousands c
gibbets for thieves. When Chris
was crucified He had a thief o
the cross at his right hand an
another thief on the cross at HI
left hand. At one time the GRIN
inal law of England prescribe
hanging as a penalty for any Pc
o who stole goods to the Walt
of a s~ixpence, or twelve cents, ar
thousands were executed under tn
law. At one time in Montana
thief was likely to be execute
without much fuss by a vigilant
committee, if his dishonest acti'
ity became very marked. tt
church, the state, the family, al
public opinion has been teachir
honesty for thousands of years.
teaching the virtue of homes
would cure dishonesty, surely
should have been wiped out of Il
world long ago. We don't belle
a professor of honesty added to Il
school teaching force is going
make much difference in t
amount of dishonesty in the worl
There is scarce a child of scho
age now who does not know
the intellectual side OF his he
that dishonesty is bad, but Il
frswiping' of rubbers and penci
and other kinds Of property IN Z