Reprinted from the December 1935 issue of Doc Savage Magazine

CODE OF HONOR

THERE may be no such thing as "honor" among thieves, but there certainly exists "honor" among upright, outstanding citizens. The entire structure of our civilization; our political and social life; everything upon which we count for our daily existence, would crash down upon our heads if we were to forget that single word: Honor. In short, our code of civilization is based upon that one word.

Long before there were any courts; before there were any means of legal or technical procedure, the same purpose was served by the integrity and honesty of the individuals concerned in any affair. Even to-day, despite all of our legal safeguards, men deal not strictly according to law, but according to the personal reputation and honor of the individuals with whom they are concerned. The legal contract may be drawn up as evidence, but the real business is done man to man, and upon the summation of the character of the individuals concerned in the deal is built the entire project.

It is because of this tendency of all men to depend upon trust, upon faith, upon the honor of the individual, which makes it important for the person who wishes to get anywhere in life to make himself trustworthy, to establish his reputation very early in life as a square shooter, an honest, honorable man.

Such reputation is not established in a week or a month, or even a year. It is the result of one's entire lifetime. People have some strange way of passing on the knowledge of your reputation, whether it be good or bad, so that it reaches distant points even before you get there. You cannot afford to let them broadcast any ill-reputation; you must start to build up your integrity from the very start.

Therefore it is not urging too much upon every individual to take advantage of any opportunity to begin in the right direction; to use every available means of making his reputation as strong and as solid as possible.

We have here an excellent means of building up just that name. Every member of the Doc Savage Club, by abiding by the Code of Doc Savage, will find his character and his reputation constantly increasing. There is nothing more certain of making people realize your good nature than to have them see it in your actions, day in and day out, and realize that such deeds are second nature to you. And there is no better way to make these deeds be part of you than to develop this means of practicing them; to have before you constantly the precepts of such existence.

Members of the Doc Savage Club may slip and err, but all the chances are against that. As followers of the activities of Doc Savage, they have a constant ideal before them; as believers in the Code of Doc Savage, they have a perpetual guide to steer them along the right path.

Might we not suggest, therefore, that you read the Code of Doc Savage, and see if it will not aid you in life. If it will-and it must-then all you need to do is sign the coupon and send it in. A membership card, with the Code nicely printed upon the reverse side, will come to you free of charge. All these pages will become your own pages, and will help you be a better man or woman all around. If you wish, you can secure the emblem and the rubber stamp for the small charge made necessary because of the cost of these items. Or you can remain just as good a member by merely carrying the card which you get without charge, and living up to the rules of the club.

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