New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-29
ZOLA'S MONEY.
GENIUS AND INFAMY.

lola has chosen for the scene OF HIS he" NV
tbe closing years Of the Second EMPIRE uuii"E
which Paris was secthing in wild specul''io"'
enterpriscs as rash and reckless as thoSe GU
rendered by the South Sea Bubble were SET OH ioo.
nv tho dozen. and the public completely carried
away ny the gambling spirit of the hour' rusneu "
embark upon all these mad or wicked projects
with evcr increasing haste and blindness. flcton
could NOT surpass the follics and crimes OF 'ha'
nerjod and the rcalist could select no supJcc'
hnttor Cited TO illustrate strikingy the evils ana
abuses of spccuaton. In dealing with ire lh>i"c
history of one of these great swlndlln% schei"cS
lola has found opportunity 70 indulge HIS '"iE
passion lie fairly reVcls Ill his de@crlp'lonS y.
the seamy side of operations on the bo'rSc' ""'
no int reduces n new set of characters, representing
the great and petty rogues who 1--we upon P"p"'
credulity in this way and who WORK, el'hcr' IN
with the majority, in the capaciN ol laoRals "
| the holder and ADLER scoundrcS. or independently
The history Of the Universal Bank eS'a'iShcu ny
| the veteran adventurcr. Saccard. me pr"'ner "
Minister Rougon. is in It's general outline ana i'e
mastery of coutribut0ry details, strong piece VI
writing The convention of this enterprise in the
fantastic imaginings Of clever engineer VINO mas
sncnt years in the Orient, and las returned iuii
Of magnificent ideas of opening great silver mines
At Mount Carmel. of syndcating all the Med
4
with a network of railways is ingenious, not 10
sneak Of the same engineers browning project OF
attaining Palestine and seating the Pope at
Jerusalem. supported by Catholic Bank, which Is
n act as a counterposc TO the Jewish financial
powers
These airy plans suggestions furnish Sac
card with the foundations Of his | Universal Bank
and with the assistance of clique OF unprn-
cipled moneycd men he succeeds in putting II on
It's feet This is the first act in the drama. tho
rest of which is mainly occupied with ire
mendous struggle or the Bourse between Saccard
and Gundcr1nann. Jewish fnancer. who possesses
n miiard. and with whom it. is a vital question
10 maintain his prestige and supremacy The
/ character Of Saccard is clearly and hrmiN drawn
4 man absolutely void Of moral sense. hut
amazingly quick versatile and plausible, he over
comes all objections. creates strong attachments
for himself and his fortunes and being without
guiding principles quickly foricits all the genuine
opportnnitics afforded for establishing a stable
/ institution by yielding to the gambling tcmpta-
/ tion Of forcing his stock mp 10 a phenomenal
! figure on the BourSe. IL may be said generally
that all TINT relates TO this duel and to the opera
! tors and, operations on the stock market is IN
Zoa's most impressive manner. No detail escapes
/ lin. lie has created q whole gallery of portraits,
! and while. with rare exceptions, they are the
portraits Of knayes, there can bc no doNht that
/ the types belong 10 the situation, which pro-
/ duces. or at least fosters and develops. the de
| pravty Of such advcnturers.
Saccard digs the pit for his own feet by gam
bling in the stock Of the Bank. which is forced
MP 10 fabulous Hgurc. and in rs rise makes an
/ impossible future for the Institution by draining
! It's Golfers TO supper, the artificial initiation Of
values The battle between the Bank and TIE
man Of the mllliard is, Of course. bat the LEADING
/ interest OF the story. From this proceed. and H.
this arc attached. n crowd of scpnIat" incidents
and episodes illustrating the incidence OF the
SPECULATIVE fever upon individuals and families in
every condition Of life And in these subsidiary
scenes and narratives the worst vice Of IolaiSm
comes to the surface. Not content with exhibit
ing the evils which derive normally from the
abuse Of the money power, lie brings into play.
and tsItcs a keen delight in eXpatiaing upon, the
most scandalous and even obscene things II is true
that certain memoirs published not many years ago
| the Memoirs Of Well Castcllc-gO even as far
as lola here goes in describing the morals Of the
Second Empire, but this cannot Justify novelist
in deliberately making use Of the most Infamous
and disgusting scandals on record. And it is de
| sirable that few words should he said here
as 10 tho publication in the United States OF any
! literal translation Of EArgent." The plain truth
is that there are passages and whole scenes in the
book which, if put In English should and must
| expose the publisher TO prosecution and 1t should
| be seen to that translation Of phcsc offensive
passages DC allowed 20 20 abroad.
What makes the vice Of Zoa the more exas-
ncrating is that in the present his lthness is
entirely superiuOus, adding nothing to the force
| Of the picture, and being in no way necessary 10
the plot or any Of It's branches. II would he posi-
bio 10 excise every particle Of obscrnity from
nnlN don -ntit
from its,imprcssivcncss, but very greatly to It's
| advantage as a work Of fiction All the peculiarly
Iolaistc effects are really mere APPENDICES, which
may be cleared away without the least hesitation
| as TO the literary results of such purgaton, and
| which will have to he cleared away If the book is
to he read in English by the American public.
We dwell upon this point, not only because lola
is really outrageous in his surrender 10 his evil
dispositions but because. apart from these stains
and blotches, "LArgcnt' is a decidedly powerful
and able book and contains pictures of re-
markablc period lfelikc, so vigorous, so
mastery, that they ought not to be put beyond
| the reach of the reading public by their assOcia
ton with matter fit only for swift suppression
There are also character studies which display real
genius, and some of which recall the penetration
and comprehensiveness OF Balzac. Among these are
the PORTRAITS OF Busch and his lieutenant, lie
| Mechain; the two vuturcs OF the financial battle
! field who hover about the scene awaiting their
| opportunity to attack the wounded the slain /;
| creatures who live on the misiofunes OF others;
who buy for song the stock OF ruined corpora
tons and resell il 10 fraudulent bankrupts in
need of excuses for the disappearance of their
capital; who buy up bad debts, and pursue the
debtors, if need be, for lifetime who practise
blackmail upon system, and rob the widow and
| orphan by preference. This terrible pair alone
| would give character to the book.
II is of course in some sort criminal calendar
| The one honest broker is ruined by his integrity
! i,n ,,fl honest