The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-16
M'ALLIsTER,s CRITICS.

| Sells Like Hot Cakes
| When a man has amused himself in his
leisure hours, says the Herald, by writing q
book which Ia certain not only to add to his
fame. but to bring him s50,00 as easy as
rolling of a log, he can afford TO smile, even
IL certain newspapers do call him a snob
and poke fun at his grammar and ILL.,
nstured critics sit down hard upon his pre-
| tentions TO authorship.
mat is the position which Ward McAlIis-
ter, the author of Society as Have Found
| It, feels himself to be IN.
AND YET HE SMILED.
| When called upon him the other day.
Mr.. McAllister sat ia his easy chair. a pict,
ure OF good nature and contentment. He
| held an illustrated comic paper in his hand
ana was smiling pleasantly at a big and
| mighty colored cartoon on the first page
me picture must be very fuuny,n [
thought, ''or perhaps it's something particu-
larly complimentary" But Il was neither
as soon learned for when he handed the
paper to me, with laugh, saw that it was
vulgar carlcature. representing the Nc
AIllster with pair Of ass ears pointing to
an English snob as a model for Americans.
And yet the victim smiled. The incident
" Illustrated the fact that the leader of the
-Four Hundred is also a philosopher.
s3''l dent mind such attacks as these. don't
you know" said Mr.. McAlister. with much
cheerfulness. They don't hurt me or nv
book. Yes, | suppose as you say they
naturally help to advertise the book. what
was 1t Barnum used to sayl For Heayen's
sake keep my name in the papers; abuse
me as much as you like; call me a hum
bug, but print my name-it all advertises
the show
"See here is a big scrap book full of
newspaper clippings about me and nv
book. most Of them abusive or satlrical: but
l don't allow them to disturb my serenity in
the least, don't you know.
HE WROTE FOR MONEY.
" Society as l Have Found It. was writ
ten TO make money. l see no reason why I
should hesitate TO ackno wledge the fact
And it has been a success. The first edition
OF 2O,0OO was sold immediately They have
been working day and night on a second
edition, which is out to-day, and my pub
fishers assure me that at least 100, 600 comics
viii be sold. am sure Of making at least
$50, 900 from the sale Of the book d"
is it true that you are going to take the
lecture PLATFORM
mo, the story that am to 90 west on a
lecture tour is not true. i have received
some tempting offers, but l shall refuse
them all. am engaged already upon a
second volume of my book, to be published
when the first one has run out, two or three
years hence. 1t win treat of society I'D to
that time"
Are there not some criticisms which
nave been made upon your book which you
would care to answerp
PHILOSOPHICAL CONSOLATION.
II don't know as there are. There has
been good deal of personal abuse and
ridtcule Of me, but not much honest
criticism OF my book. Here ID something
that seems to meet the case. 1t is an mn
derllned paragraph in a volume of the letters
OF Marcy, the great statesman. which
August Belmont has just sent me. Marcy
says
Controversy with those whose employ
ment Is detractlon only stimulates them
to further efforts A man who will tell a
deliberate lie will, when detected, resort to
another to keep up the fight He feels
honored by the notoriety given to him by
the contest
GAS l have said,n resumed Mr.. McAllis-
ter, 'most of the criticisms l have seen
have been directed toward the author and
not the work. II is surprising to me that
my book seems to have been overlooked
altogether in the eagerness of some of the
critics to discover the personality of the
writer
IF wasn't philosopher might bs an
noyed because OF one mistake which all of
my critics seem to make-even those who
are friendly. They will persist-eyery one
of 'em-in speaking of me as 'the autocrat
of American drawing rooms the leader of
New York society," the head of the Four
and so on.
THE M'ALLIsTER IS MODEST
NOW, don't deserve any such exalted
rank, and have never set UP any such claim
The newspapers alone are responsible for
clubbing me with these titles. am nor a
leader of society, and if you read nv book
you will find that give credit where credit
is due. | wish the newspapers wouldn't
make it appear that pretend to be the
leader Of the Four Hundred. It's inst about
as true as that I ever limited New York
society to 400 But am tired of explain
ing all that"
ut is said that the publication of vour
book has alienated many Of your friends in
"Oh, bless you, oil" said Mr.. McAlister.
Some Of EN- were a little ner'
vous, don't you know, when thew heard
that l was writing the book for fear of |
what might say about 'em. But | have
been exceedingly careful about personals.
ties aud have kept out lots of things which
would have been mighty interesting read
ing. OF course, there have been heart
on the part OF certain people That
was unavoidable. But l have had series of
letters to disprove that story"