Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1934-09-21
Howe About:
Honesty
A Firm Foundation
Soldiers of Fortune
BY ED HOWE
@. Bell syndlOats.-wNU Service.

II HAVE never VCCup1cu OulNAdA PS-
1 sition Of any kind; / have al
ways been an humble follower, for
gotten except when leaders are
considering an additional tax
schedule, a new. drive, or other
foray.
But If appointed chief of police
should have fewer street parades. I
seldom go downtown without find
ing a street roped of for another
parade, and thus suffer annoyance
and delay.
The president Of big New York
bonding company writes me:
1.-THE following is quotation
from your last issue: I do not be-
lieve the people can be cured of
their natural dishonesty, but still
have hope they can be taught hon
esty Is the best policy, If we teach
it as industriously as we have long
been teaching some of our untrue
doctrines The experience of
this company in paying dishonesty
losses forty years convinceS me
that what is needed In this world
Is the teaching of honesty rather
than preaching of it. Our preach
ing has resulted In honesty being
regarded as a 'goody-goOdy' doc
trine, to be eulogized by Sunday
school teachers and the public
schools up to the fourth reader.
No real effort Is made to impress
young people with the practical
benefit to be derived from honesty
as an asset. Anyone can acquire
it, and it will prove an inexhausti-
BILE resource throughout life. Dis
honesty starts when the individual
determines upon course he knows
Ia wrong; but the impression is net
deep enough to hold him-he has
not been sufficiently taught. If
children were sufficiently taught
honesty from the beginning, and
continuously, 1t would not be so
easy for men and women to depart
from honest ways, and get into the
trouble dishonesty always brings.
! hope you will elaborate on this
theme in subsequent issues"
I am regarded as a tiresome scold
by a good many because / have al
ready elaborated on the themetIin
many previous issues. I believe we
should teach honesty is the best
policy as persistently and continu-
Ously as We teach the Christian re-
ligioR,, - T. - =
Honesty is not a "goody -goody"
or Sunday school doctrine; 1t is the
Soundest article In the philosophy
OF experience. Good conduct Ia the
surest and safest method of insur-
ing success and comfort in life.
Good conduct pays; and it Is easier
In the long run than bad conduct.
I have taught this all my life,
and shall teach IT. hereafter.
- 80
4 country or man may progress
too rapidly. 1t was overprogress
that caused Ivar Kreuger, head Of
the Swedish match trust, to con-
nit suicide, and leave behind the
record of a scoundrel.
1t was overprogress on the part
Of the United States that brought
rs to the present great difficulties,
Progress Is one of the best prinei-
Piles, but the details must be at
tended to with the old details of
caution and common sense. II the
foundation Is not built on solid
rock, there will be topping.
Somewhere In the hymn book
or Bible there is a line about the
sure foundation. One must have
1t In everything, If he hopes to get
along as comfortably and safely as
is possible.
The stories Of Soldiers of For
tune, as they appear in the newspaat II
pers and magazines exaggerated by (
other soldiers Of fortune, make
good reading; in my vagrant hours
! sometimes read them myself,
A notable Soldier of Fortune has
Just died, missing the average goal
of three score and ten by thirty
years. He was in college when the
war broke out, and made high
grades in the football squad, Also,
ne sang In the glee club, and played
In the band, but his grades in legit-
innate studies were low.
OF course, he promptly enlisted,
and / marvel that q man wounded
30 frequently and seriously, was
able, after the armistlce, to perform
such feats Of exploration as he dis.
played In climbing mountains, fol.
lowing rare specimens of animals
In Tibet and Africa, and engaging
IN revolutions In South America.
He hoped to fly across the Atlantic
and thus appear in the movies, but
at thirty-eight he was found dead:
whether by his own hand, or at the