The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-07
lola Is NOT A PRUDE.
HE DECLARES HIS WORKS HAVE A
HIGH AIM.
He Scores the English for Their oily
pocrisy"-He is Willing to Stand
Upon the Judgment of Time-Not a
Prohibitionist.


called yesterday morning upon NJ. Emile
Zola. This king OF "naturalistic" writers
lives in handsome apartment near the
Place Clichy. lie is younger looking
man than his portraits indicate, and his
long dark hair is brushed back straight
from his forehead, and not arranged in the
untdy way generally represented. lie
wore brown velvet jacket and was seated
before desk covered with manuscript.
"This is my sanctum," said NJ. lola, rising
from luxurious chair in which he was
half buried, "and you find me at work on
my next novel"
"What will ii be about?"
"Ah, VOLTA, you must wait until Il APP
pears. l will say this much, however
that it will be quite different from any OF
my previous works. / am developing the
history Of a crime, and hope TO produce
something with ow,r.ul dramatic inter
est.
"About the judgment of the English
court against La Terre,' do you want to
know my honest opinion? Wen, here it
is, Je men fche complement ct radicalc-
ment What possible difference can II make
TO me tlat one Of my works has been pre-.
scribed TO English readers? My rank in
the literary world will be determined bv
quite different tribunal, by tribunal
which never crrs, that of posterily.
III dog steals leg OF mutton from
your table do YOU care very much il an.
other dog robs the thief of his plumber.
That is precisely my position Us regards
English, and particularly American pub
fishers. | am told that my books have u
large sale in the United States, but have
never received single sou OF the pro-
ceeds
"ln the present case Nizitelly Brothers
paid me 2,000i for the English rights 10
La Terre.' What is 2,OO0f? DO YOU
know that the sale of one OF my novels in
France averages me lO0,0O0f2
"But IL is not so much this literary piracy
h ia exaspcrates me as the intolcrablc
Anglo-SaNon hypocrisy OF these austerc
Englishmon, who turn mp their eyes in
hoy horror when any mention is made OF
what they are fond OF calling French vices.
They would have the world believe that all
the evils OF their social system are imported
from rs, and they seem 10 consider me the
incarnation Of all that is worst in France.
Ii London is populated with fallen women
We are told il is the contagion of Paris. II
The Pail Nal Gdfdic pitilessly laws bare
the rottenncss Of the English upper CLASSES
the burden Of this secret sin is laid upon
French immortality. II Whitechapcl flows
with the blood Of society's outcasts il H.
iorsooih. because NJ. Zola has perverted
the innocent minds Of the British youth.
"Bah Such Pharisnical prudcry is
sickcning. We have recently honorcd th,
Englishman Shakespeare with statue in
our city. let those who presume 20 con.
denim my writings read what he has writ
| ten; let them also read Ben Jonson, and
Smollctt, and Byron, and say whether IN
the whole range Of French literature they
can find anything more coarse and indcli
cate.
"li YOU walk along the Rue de Rivol
you will find vile books In abundance. 1
| is n significant fact that they are writer
| in English. II Il true, too, that Paris con
tains haunls OF vice and debauchery. Ash
| the English speaking guides who swarm
| about our great hotels who are the hes
| patrons OF these shameful institutions
/ iUfu lllfrf sly hfAANAAiAiffrF AANfNf IAhilllA
| purilans, 90 home aud tell each other tina
my books are not iit for their daughters e
read.
"But what is the literary food which
| they offer their well trained daughters
They deny them the tainted French novel,
and substitute moral, oh, highly moral,
| English and American newspapers. And
| what do these unsullicd buds Of woman.
| - IL
| learn that in England, a. elsewhere. wo-
man IL woman whatever her rank aud sta
ton, and that man remains man IN spite
Of titles or prctcnsOns. They are served
every morning at the breakfast table with
a detailed account Of denominations and
dcpravitics which respectable French
paper would not print, and would re-
| spcctlully ask II all this sensational news
IL any the less hideous because II IL the
| truth, because IL Is the work Of the polio,
reporter instead Of the literary artist. Yes
dare 10 call my work artistic, and ! claim
that il is written with a high and philo'
sophical aim.
Take for instance this same much
| abused la TCrrc.' You will compare II
with 80 Rove which carping critics hay,
| pronounced respectable. In the iurmei
| there are at most forty pages which ~,
declared Objectionable; the several hun
| drcd remaining pages are In no way differ
| cnt from those Oi lie Reyc,' only IN ~
Reyc' | chose TO leave out these forty
PAGES, and. prcstol the book became CN
/ cmplnry. IL IL probable that II my pur
| pose IN writing was, ~ my English licnd'
MAINTAIN, to indulge inlilorary dcbauchcry
| ! would have been 80 moderate ia ~,
efforts? FROM that point Of view my book.
/ are by no means bad enough
81 admit the difficulty OF drawing n linI
| between the productions Of an authOi
whose motives are worthy and artistic and
/ those written simply with the purpose o.
| catering 20 the dcpraycd and impure In
| stincis Of humanity.
"lloth kinds exist. and both, with morI
or less accuracy. portray human life ~ I
u. Certainly Il is not u haphazard Lon
don jury that Is capable Oi deciding
whether am writing with base ant
mcrccnnry aim or whether my ambition !,
toward truth and right Happily there Il
one Judge which never fails to discrimin'
ate between good and bad. That Judge 4
Time, and to him, In all consciousness o
my own integrity, appeal fcarlcfsly.
"lf YOU nak what rcmcdy / would pro
| pose for the vice which IN inevitable IN al
| countries and In all states Of society, | ~
py believe rather In drawing men 10
ward good than In shutting them ou
! from bad. Arbitrary repression Away
fails, and II generally aggrayaics the evil I
would suppress.
"For instance, have no doubt tha
this decision Of the London court will TO
suit In largely increased sales Of la Terrc
In England. 30 II Is In everything. Til,
world l. no worse today than II has beer