Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-08-16
WORKS AND CHARACTER.
Criticism of tho Former Is Useful, OF tho
.t Latter Pernic Qua.

Latter Pernic GUS.
There is oae class Of criticism which
Is so extremely useful even with its
present imperfections, that it would be
safe to say that, were they purged away,
the more we had of it the better for the
community. We allude to the criticism
OF the various works of mankind in
their several departments by those who
have proved themselves to be specially
competent to Judge and wise to dis
criminate, and whose object is to guide,
to protect and to enlighten tho general
community on subjects where special
knowledge is needed. There is no de-
partment of human industry that is not
improved by such criticism. Tho work
OF the farmer and the manufacturer, the
architect and the ship builder, the mer-
chant and the banker, the mechanic and
the teacher, the physician and tho law
yer are all benefited by the criticism of
those who are superior in knowledge
and experience in each separate PROV
irce; and through this the safety, COM
fort and general well-being of the COM
munity are gradually increased. In the
same way the just criticisms of art, which
are now given to the public through the
medium of our best newspapers, are of
immense value, both in their stimula-
ting effects upon the artists themselves
and in cultivating tho popular taste and
discrimination. Capable critics of books
and other writings, of speeches and
lectures, of music and the drama, if
/ they are also conscientious and sincere,
are public benefactors and instructors,
| anfit1nI tn ,,cnr1iar
! esteem and gratitude The qualifica-
| tions for such work as this are of high
order and rare, and are proportionably
! valuable. 1t is only where incompe-
tence, partiality or self-interest assumes
I these functions that the work becomes
a public injury rather than q blessing.
1t is, however, very difficult in the crit
icisms of character and conduct which
are so continually heard in our midst.
/ Here no special efficiency of fitness is
deemed necessary. Every one, what
| ever his mental or moral status, what.
ever be his powers of insight and dis
elimination, or his capacity for weigh
ing character and discerning motives,
holds himself fully competent to criti.
else. Indeed, it is usually found that
the less highly he is endowed with
these qualifications the more volumin-
Gus are his criticisms Yet what is more
complex in its nature, more difficult to
! gauge, more intricately woven with
thousand unknown circumstances, than
! character and conduct? Surely, If we
have a right to demand that the musical
critic be superior in his knowledge of
the laws of harmony and in his accuracy
| nf -tb bof tho lrn1 - tin ppit ip hn lppn-
~ versed in the laws of the drama and
the meaning of the play, and skilled
to perceive how these laws are executed
that meaning interpreted-we
have at least an equal right to re-
quire of one who attempts to criti-
else character and conduct that he
should have thoroughly mastered tho
laws which govern both, the causes
which determine them, the reasons
which underlie them, and that he be
skillful to apply this knowledge to the
practical cases in hand. If criticisms
of this kind were confined to such por-
sons, what a wondrous change would
take place in our daily intercourse, and
how great respect would be paid to the
few and moderate judgments that would
be passed! AS it is every one feels
competent to make estimates, to form
conclusions and to pronounce verdicts
on this most difficult, most delicate and
most intricate subiecE and instead of
resenting all this as the presumption of
incompetency, we calmly listen, accept,
and pass it on, as if it were well accred-
tied truth. There is still another wide
difference between the 'iticism of work
and of character, and that is the ulti-
mate results to which they lead He
who understandingly criticises some
practical work has definite and useful
object before him, viz, the improve
ment of that work in the present and
the future. But the critic of character
usually has no such aim, and can hope
for no such result. If his criticism be
unfavorable he may iniure a mans rep
utation, cloud his prospects, rouse his
anger, push him lower down in the scale
of manhood, but can never thus help to
lift him up or to awaken within him the
desire to live more nobly. OF course,
there are exceptions to this-cases
where duty to others demands thegutter-
ance of many unwelcome truths; but in
general the detractor has no such mo-
tive; he merely speaks evil of another
in desultory, careless, self-indulgent
way, without counting the cost, and GER
tainly without any well-defined idea of
doing good.-Philadslphi Ledger.
They Had Met Before. aA
snow, sir, began the attorney for the
defense, knitting his brows and prepar-
ing to annihilate the witness whom he
was about to cross-examine, "you say
your name is Williams. Can you prove
that to be your real name?s Is there
anybody in the courtroom who can
swear you haven't assumed it for pur-
poses of fraud and dec2it?" -E
81 think you can identify me your
self" answered the witness. Y ts{f
81? Where did ever see you before,
my friend?"
~ nut that scar over your right eve