The Portland daily press., 1882-02-17
The Uses of Eccentricity.

[St. James Gazette.
Crime is, of course, the worst thing, but 1t is
far from being the only thing, to which the
lust Of notoriety tempts mankind. There are
whole host Of minor transgressions and follies
for which this same passion is responsible. 1t
animates the political aspirant who seeks dis
tinetion by out-Jacobinizing the Jacobinism ef
his most advanced contemporaries, just as it
inspires the poetical novice who resolves to at
tract attention by surprising the indecencies of
his most shameless predecessor. Neither Of
them is necessarily an imposter-or, at any
rate, a thorough imposter; both may possess
decent share of natural gifts, and certain
natural tendency to the political and artistic
course which they respectively adopt But
they conceive that their gifts are not sufficient
to obtain them, or at least to obtain them
soon enough, the distinction v hich they eovet;
and accordingly they supplement- their natural
gifts by exaggerating their natural tendencies.
Examples of such persons will at once occur to
the mind of everybody. Everyone knows Of
writers in the periodical press whose success,
if we may so call it, is entirely dEe to cynical
brutality of thought and expression; and who,
in fact, have singled themselves out from their
fellows, not by surprising them in their COM
mon art, but simply by defying all the decent
restraints under which honorable men are con-
tent to practice it. AS for less discreditable
modes Of attracting notice, they are OF endless
variety. If men who will play the rutfian in
order to catch the public eye are happily rare,
men who will play the fool with that object are
unfortunately, common. Nor, indeed, has there
ever been time when from the notoriety-hun-
ter's point OF view it was more profitable 10 do
SO. The career of the young gentleman who
excited the mirth of American audience,
the other day, by appearing before them TO de-
liver lecture in knee-breeches and silk stock
ings is a typical example Of what may be done
by unabashed and assiduous posing as min
compoop. He has been "chaffed, lampooned
caricatured, parodied-Tidculed, in short, In
every conceivable way; and the result has
been-what, of course, he quite foresaw IL
replying to ridicule by exaggerating his affec-
tations-to make him famous. No doubt he
enjoys his celebrity; and it can hardly be
said to have cost him anything except his dig
nifty, which, after all, might never have made
much impression upon anybody il his choice
had been to retain it and remain obscure.
No sensible man need grudge these persons
the attainment of their ambitions by the ifreg-
ular means which they adopt; and certainly no
sensible man would think of complaining OF the
popular weakness upon which they play SO
long as mankind exists, probably such acts
will have such rewards. The really serious
side of the matter is not the personal one The
success of extravaganza and ecceDtricity is not
deplorable merely as contributing to the eleva-
tion of a certain number of pretenders into
prominence; that is a very unimportant part OF
its mischief. The true cause for regret is that
eccentricity and extravaganza in the abstract
should give such an advantage in the competi-
tion of individuals for the notice Of the public.
1t is not of course, to be assumed that the mass
of men are really influenced by those new and
startling ''vews'' which are found so effective
to attract their attention; but it is a great
thing to secure the interested and curious au-
dience which the advocate of such views ia al
ways sure to command. Its advantages in this
respect are illustrated almost every day; as are
on the other hand, the disadvantages OF those
who undertake the advocacy OF those common
place opinions which have nothing but justice.
common sense and the unbroken experience OF
generations to recommend them. The Contrast
between the position OF these two parties De-
comes, of course, more pronounced in direct
proportion to the antiquity and authority Of
the principles which one of them upholds and
to the rash absurdity Of the theories which the
other opposes to them. For the more ancient
and authoritative the principles the more un-
exciting is their exposition and the naorefre
quent the attack upon them. The one process
has to be performed before an audience which
ia with difficulty interested aud easily bored;
as regards the other, the conditions are exactly
reversed. Great indeed must be the persua-
sive powers of the man who succeeds in the
former work. and small indeed must be the
ter. EIoquence, wit, learning, reasoning may
DO szposao ia. xe.iz. tae ozafoe.sa0sas e abe
too familiar truths that govern human affairs;
Auency, buffoonery, sciolism, sophistry viii
amply serve for the recommendation OF para
dox to a mixed multitude Of hearers anxious
before all things for something new. The con-
ditions OF the contest have been sadly unequal
from the beginning of the world: but it GER
tainly seems as if what is called the progress OF
intelligence--w which means, in other words, the
continually increasing demand for every new
form of mental excitement-were tending to
make this inequality more discoursging than
ever.