Year: 1879




made in haste. 1t is not particular TO
the modern reader just how sweeping the
ancient intended to be, but it Is o great
importance to note that the world has
made progress since the days OF King
David, for no 'one would now say, even
In haste, that all men are liars. Excep-
tions to the rule have become quite nu-
merous oil late times, SO that the word
all can no longer be used by calm and
thoughtful persons. Only reckless scold
could affirm mendaCity OF all mankind.
George Washington disturbed the long
succession to which the psalmist alluded,
and, since Washington, almost each viii
lage or large town has been able to point
to some one man who was almost certain
to speak the truth. There being about
three thousand towns in the United
states, and admitting that there is one
man in each town who is stubbornly
opposed to fslsehood, this would give us
quite an army Of persons who can state
the fact 90 far as they know it.


In Cincinnati, thirty years ago, there
was lawyer who would not tell lie.
He may indeed now be dead, and there
may not be in that city any living sue
cesser, but the existence of that one
lawyer, of that mental and moral quality,
would show that we are living in an age
that Is liable to produce truthful men,
and that il this liability is not just now
blessing our city it must be at work in
some other metropolis. The one attorney
following 10 close upon the departing
heels of George Warrington speaks vol'
umes in favor Of the progress Of veracity
in our century. There is not, indeed,
conclusive evidence that Chicago or Ct.
Louis has the actual duplicate of that
Cincinnati barrister, but the DRIFT OF the
age Is such that we are almost warranted
in saying that so large city as Chicago
must possess at its legal bar some one
mind which is disposed to state the ex-
listing as existing.


Xenophon complained of some scout
who brought back to the general the
non existing as the existing. 1n such
words we find the philosophical analysis
of the common liar, but that all men are
like that scout we should deny. The
fact of truth.telling lawyer has already
been cited. To such favorable evidence
must now be added the fact OF truth
telling calcminer. There may be one or
two Others In America, for the popula.
tion of North America is now
about sixty millions, and of this
vast crowd the number of per.
sons who decorate rooms about the first
Of each May must be at least one mil
lion, and therefore in this million there
may be some other fresco~artist who
reports the existing rs existing, and the
non-existing as non-existing but many
persons who have studied the habits of
these May-bugs are not satisfied that
there are more than Just this one who
are stubbornly opposed to false asser-
ton. We do not feel that it would be
important to name this one and designate
his street and number, for as he is now
very aged, and totally blind, and out Of
service, the information could not be
turned to any valuable account by any
parties wishing TO renew the color of
wall or fence.


Casuists and all dealers in moral sta
tistic declare that there are plumbers
and paper-hangers who consider their
promises as binding. But there are two
reasons why this theory should be cons
sidered as rose-colored. The frat reason
il that very few of these cssuists and
statisticians have any house to which an
actual artisan ever is wont to come,
either in time or out of time. These
deep thinkers dwell in garrets, and have
no more use for plumber or psperer
than they have for coschmsn. Their
remark ~ not based upon experience
The second objection to the theory Ia
this, that we have already found an
honest lawyer and an honest cslciminer
and must be slow to load any more
virtue upon the credulity of our readers
" hile we admire greatly our own era
we do not feel inclined 10 speak boast
ingly of its superiority over the ancient
periods.


And, furthermore, should we admit
that here had been, or now is, yer
acious plumber, then along would come
some other little Herbert Spencer to ask
ms to admit some real estate sgent o.
Europe or America, or Africa-sn sd'
mission it would be reckless to MAKE
There would be no end to the rush fol
places should 1t be once seen that ever
real estate men were liable to follow the
story of the cherry tree and the hatchet
In this estimate OF the story of the
truth-telling men which our age pos
,esses, q special and exceptional line OF
argument must be made over the oficS
of the clergy. They do not enter into
the common herd of mankind. They srt
peculiarly nodded by conversion and
sanctification, and by theology, and by
much teaching OF the ten commandment,
to society, and by speaking truthful
words at the funerals OF illustrious dead
All things tend to make this class lover,
of plain trHthiulness. Having enjoyed
an exceptional training and practice
they must not be clsssed with plumber
and whitewashers and real estate
agents, for evidently they form &
higher estate. We have found one
honest lawyer, and one spotles'
calciminer (not spotless rs to his pig,
ments for the wall, but az TO his soul)
but passing over to the clerical profess
sion, it is but Just to say that there are
perhaps a large number of these in the
United States vino do not tell lies on any
occasion. OF that grave body of minis
ters who are now holding court over 4
Clergyman in Brooklyn, it is probable
that there are three or four who do moi
state what did not exist as being what
did or does exist. Well now, if in that
one group there are at least three meu
whose words stand for actual events
then extending our sway all over the
United States, In which there are 75,00C
preachers, we find by mathematics that
there are only 10000 of these who will
tell a small story when in straits. That