Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-13
THE DECAY OF CiRICiTIRE.

The use which was made Of the Blaine
cartoons in Puck and other illustrated papers
during the convention campaign, gives rise to
the question, is there no longer any mission
for caricaturc? The friends of Blaine AS
scrt with good deal Of emphasis and
their present position warrants them
in being somewhat positive--hat they de-
rived good deal more help than
harm from the widely circulated cartoons of
the "tattoocd man. both previous to ard
during the convention. Blaine himself has
been reported as laughing heartily at the
admirable concelt of Puck, and cxprossln.!
himself well pleased to be brought so rrom-
lnently before the people in So valuable an
advertising medium. If we are to test such
statements at all by the results which they
anticipated, we must suppose that they were
genuine. But whether genuine Or not-and
it matters very little now-thc results are
certainly facts, and we can not Ignorc
them.
If the power of caricaturc is not decaying
then these wonderfully forcible and graphic
cartoons ought to have had some influence ad
verse to the Blaine canvass That the Cd.
ponents of the plumed knight supposed that
such would be the case is ap.
parent from the fact that au
immense number Of tics. cartoons
were circulated among the members of the
convention, and throughout the whole CITY
of Chicago from the very first moment that
the delegates began to arrive. The influence
which caricature has exercised. in the past,
in political contests, certainly offers pre-.
cedcnt in its favor which could not be over
looked in contest like that which has lust
taken place in the Republican party. The
pencil OF Mast has been in past campaigns
OF more influence in gaining popular
sentiment than any other one agency which
might be named. That it should have had.
apparently, no influence in the present nom.
mating campaign, together with the superior
cartoons of Puck and other illustrated pub.
locations of lesser name is fact that NAV
not be disregardcd.
There seems to be popular tendency to
side with the sensational among the masses
OF the reading public in this country to. dav.
Witness the universal loyalty to those publ
cations which bow down to and worship the
peoples idols. A clean, digufcd and well.
edited newspaper, which makes some dis
in the character of its news
articles, falls of in patronage when pushed
by rivals OF q sensational nature. Out of
this popular disloyalty to what is rcspcct.
able and good. we think, is growing
a certain good-naturcd admiration for wick
cdness, which accounts fully for the decay
Of satire and caricature, as corrective innu-
ences, IN the periodical literature Of the day.
II Is this idolatry of smartnes3 which is
deadcning the public conscience of the
American people. Caricaturc can be oplv
an advertisement for popularity, SO long as
Inc people are thus affected toward dishonest
'martncss. The able caricaturist finds him.
self degraded to the level of patent mcdi- |
cine artist lie only paints the fences along
he road to political prefermcnt. The pco.
pie will laugh at his skill but they will not
need his lesson. The mission of the cartoon
not for the present day. 1t is perverted |
~ public sentiment and falls flat as a moni. |
or OF virtue and honor. 1t can still amusp.
tut while it amuses it still further weakcns
10Th manlness and virtue.