LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
TRUST AND TRU'rHFULNESS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE SYBOTATOR.1 Sur,—As a schoolmaster, I entirely adopt the principle that "the beat way to evoke truthfulness in boys is uniformly to believe them, even when appearances are against them." Your corre- spondent, Mr. Lake, I think somewhat mistakes the meaning of it, and so fails to see the limitations of it. I may per- haps best illustrate the principle by an example that came before me two days ago. A master of a form brought a boy up to me for copying his "Euclid" out of a book, instead of writing it out without help. The muter said, "The boy denies using his book, but I clearly saw him open it and use it." I answered the master, as I have often done in similar cases, "I would always sooner believe in the possibility of being myself mistaken than that a boy was deliberately lying,—that is, if the boy had not the character for so doing." The master very generously assented to this, and confessed that he himself might possibly be mistaken, though appearances were very strongly against the boy.- I sent for the boy, and pointed out to him that though cheating in his "Euclid "was bad, lying about it afterwards would be very mach worse, and neither could serve any good end. I urged him to tell the truth, and to ignore consequences. The boy at once said, "I assure you I did not copy out of my book,—I don't re- member even opening it ; I may have done so unintentionally, as I had it in my hand." I believe the boy told me the truth. I am sure my belief will encourage him in truthfulness. Appearances could not have been more strongly against any one.
I think Mr. Lake assumes the principle which I am defending to mean,—" Pretend to believe boys, even when you cannot really believe them, the evidence being so strongly against them." The principle is vicious, if the belief in them is not genuine. Boys see very sharply through any pretence. As in the case I have quoted above, evidence apparently very strong may often be doubted. I may add that in dealing with boys in this matter of truthfulness, there is often a middle course, viz., to arrive at no conclusion as to whether in a particular case they are true or false. Evidence is often so conflicting that it is impossible either to convict or acquit a boy of a lie. It is best, then, to make it a case of "not proved." In this case, the accused will respect your fairness, whether he be guilty or innocent, and so his confidence in you will be increased.
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