The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-08-16
WORKS AND CHARACTER.
Criticism of tho Former Is Useful, of tn
Latter pernicious.

Criticism of the Former Is Useful, of the
Latter Pernici Gus.
There Is o class of criticism which
is so extremely useful even with it's
present imperfections, that 1t would be
safe to say that were they purged away,
the more we had Of 1t 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 enlightcn tho general
community on subjects where special
knowledge is needed. Thore Is no de-
partment Of human industry that Is not
improved by such criticism. The 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 the law
yer are all benefited by the criticism OF
those who are superior in knowledge
and experience in each separate proy-
ince; 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 the popular taste and
discrimination. Capable critics of books
and other writings, of speeches and
lectures, of music and the drama, IL
,1o 10 ,,l l,;n
are public benefactors and instructors,
and, as such, are entitled to our peculiar
esteem and gratitude. Tho qualifica-
lions 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
these functions that the work becomes
n public injury rather than a 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 proficiency 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 it's nature. more difficult to
gauge, more intricately woven with
thousand unknown circumstances, than
character and conduct? Surely, if we
have right to demand that the musical
critic be superior in his knowledge of
the laws of harmony and in his accuracy
of ear that the dramatic critic be deep
ly versed in the laws of the drama and
the meaning of the play, and skilled
to perceive how these laws are executed
and that meaning interpreted -wo
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 the
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. IL criticisms
of this kind we're confined to such per-
sons, what wondrous change would
take place in our daily intercourse, and
how great n respect would be paid to the
few and moderate judgments that would |
be passed! As it is, every one feels |
to make estimates, to form
and to pronounce verdicts
on this most difficult, most delicate and
most intricate subject; and instead of
all this as the presumption of
incompetency, we calmly listen, accept, |
and pass it on, as ii it were well accred- |
tied truth. There is still another wide |
difference between the criticism 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
nent of that work in tho present and |
the future. But the critic of character
Usually has no such aim, and can hope
,or no such result. If his criticism be
he may injure mans rep
ltation, cloud his prospects, rouse his
anger, push him lower down in the scale
1f manhood, but can never thus help to
lift him up or to awaken within him the
iesire to live more nobly. OF course,
here are exceptions to this-cases
where duty to others demands the utter
ince of many unwelcome truths; but in
general the detractor has no such mo-
i've; he merely speaks evil of another
n desultory, careless, self-indulgent
way, without counting the cost, and GER
,ainly without any well-defined idea of
ioing good. d.-Philadelphia Ledger.