Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-08

Ior the mislortunes OF talented pub unsO-
phisticated brothers.
The new society, which is called the
Cheiron, after the immortal who trained
and taught the sons OF heroes, will go to
work on the assumption that the best novels
are unpublished, the best dramas unac-
cepted, the best poems rejected, the best
voices unframed, and the best pictures un-
hung. Claiming that the principal cause of
this waste of genius is lack of opportunity,
ii will endeavor to secure for these writers,
singers and painters proper recognition of
their works and possessions.
The intention is laudable one, provided
| the work be not carried to extremes. This
can easily be done by persuading ambitious
persons that they are the possessors OF
genius of high order when the contrary is
the case. Great genius, as a general thing,
needs no one to give it ready-made oppor-
tunity. At the proper time it makes its
own opportunity, and owes thanks to
nobody. There have been people
| of genius who were not success
full in life, and there will likely
be others. Whether these others can be
| by organized effort on the part of friends is,
however, very doubtful. A person. inherent
energy is what he must depend upon in the
| worlds strife, and if he lacks that energy,
! he will fail, no matter who may back him
or give him aid. The philanthropist who
gives moral and monetary aid to others has
many cases of failure to contemplate. The
fan 10 M pof 10 Ioh h1on od
genius or talents of the person aided; but it
does lie with the aided ones inability to
make the proper use of the opportunity
offered him. This inability comes from
lack of energy-laziness, if you will.
If the newly founded society can supply
energy as well as opportunity, everything
may be lovely. A perfect host Of great
novellsts, poets, singers and painters may
perform their labors of love for the benefit
of the world. But ii the Brooklynites con-
fine themselves exclusively to the furnishing
of opportunity, the chances are that their
organization will become ere long nothing
more than mere mutual admiration society.
END OF THE BANK WRECKERS TRIAL.
The sudden ending yesterday of the case
against the wreckers of the Bank of Amer
lea and the American Insurance Company
seems to have been in the nature of a sur
prise to the Philadelphians. The sur
prise was a pleasant one, however,
and the public can have the salts
faction of knowing that three dishonest
manipulators of other peoples money
will get their just dues. The trial though
short from the first was prolific Of sensa-
tions, everybody expecting a stubborn de-
Tense which failed to materialize. The array
of evidence offered by the prosecution was
evidently entirely unexpected by the de-
fense and when it was presented, the pris-
oners' lawyers quickly came to the conclu-
sion that q determined fight would only
serve to work harm to their clients.
That this would have been the case is ap- |
parent from the mildness of the sentences |
imposed upon the prisoners. In Pennsyl- |
vania dishonest bank officials have gone to |
prison for Ion ,er periods and yet were not |
near the equal of Messrs. Work, DUNCAN and |
Pfeiffer in rascality. We are not finding |
fault because tn. sentences imposed are not |
more severe, but merely wish to point out |
one evidently anticipated result of Pfeiffer's |
confession. The subsequent actions of his |
partners In crime were also taken with the |
same end in view.