The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-01
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS.

George William Curtis was born and
bred under circumstances Of compare
tive ease and exceptional opportuni.
ties for literary and scholastic Gull
ture. His name was included among
the gifted young men who un.
dertook the famous "Brook Farm" ex-
pertinent some fifty years ago. His asso-
ciates in this enterprise included Haw-
thorne, Charles A. Dana, A. Bronson
Aicott, and number of other men whose
names occupy high and honorable place
in the world Of American letters. "Brook
Farm" was Bellamyism put in practice
before Bellamy was out of his frocks.
Mr.. Curtis In his youth was recognized
as q man Of charming personality and
brilliant intellectual promise, but his COM
Portable financial circumstances. his con-
stitutional Incidence and propensity for
day-dreaming would have interfered with
any achievement of wide public reputation
had not commercial disaster wrecked his
fortune and thrown him upon his literary
resources for living. To the pages Of
Putnam's Monthly he contributed series
of delightful essays, which were subse-
quently collected and published under the
name Of "Prue and l." Nothing was ever
written by Mr.. Curtis that better Illus
trated the genial, charming, poetic side Of
his intellect. To Pntnams Monthly Mr..
Curtis also contributed trenchant satire
Of New York fashionable society entitled
the "Potiphar Papers" which treated the
ri nf A ~ I, To- A. "a
OF Thackeray's VANITY Fair"
The rise of the Republican party gave
Mr.. Curtis an opportunity for the display
Of his powers as public speaker. A man
Of fine presence. handsome face, melodious
voice and excellent enunciation he quickly
rose to distinction both in the lecture field
and upon the political platform. As edi-
tor Of Harper's Weekly Mr.. Curtis made
himself power in American journalism,
and as editor of the EASY Chair" in
Harper's Magazine he did q vast deal OF
excellent work; his essays on social and
literary subjects were always written in
the spirit of Charles Lamb. or of Thackeray
when the tender mood of compassion for
the weakness Of humanity rather than I'm.
qualified cynicism possessed him.
As political journalist Mr.. Curtis
parted with much of his power when he
left the Republican party in 1884. Mr..
Curtis conduct at this time it is difficult
to justify by any honorable code of polit-
ical morals. He acted with the conven-
ton of 1854 that nominated Mr.. Blaine;
he opposed his nomination fairly enough,
but acquiesced by his silence when the
convention voted to make the nomination
unanimous. and left his Republican ASSOC
ciates under the impression that since he
had acted with the convention and had
made no objection to the vote making it
unanimous that he expected to be bound
by the decision of the conven-
ton. He went home and Harper's
Weekly soon after transferred its
support to the Democratic party, and to
this day supports the nominees Of that
party. The secret Of Mr.. Curtis detection
was really the tariff rather than Mr..
Blaine, as the subsequent publication OF
letter from Mr.. Curtis to q Pennsylvania
friend made evident Mr.. Curtis and his
employers, the Harpers. had become free
traders: personal opposition to Mr.. Blaine
was probably pretext for withdrawing
from the Republican party. Mr.. Curtis
had supported the Republican party
powerfully with his pen and voice from
1856 to 1884, and he found it difficult
after he became the prophet of the Cleve-
land Mugwumps to write with his old
time eloquence and moral power. 1t is
hard to support Cleveland and denounce
Hill and Tammany when you find Cleve-
land coquetting at every opportunity with
Tammany when il seems necessary to
success
Mr.. Curtis was easily the inspiration
and the voice of the Republican Mug
wumps. and he drew after him by his
secession to the Democracy James Russell
Lowell, 70 whom he was bound by ties Of
early personal intimacy and friendship.
General Charles Lowell. the poets favorite
nephew killed at Cedar Creek, and Cur
It's married the sisters ofColonel Robert q.
Shaw killed at Fort Wagner, and Curtis
half-brother was killed at the head of his
regiment at the battle of Fredericksbure in
December. 1S62. The scholastic Repub-
lcsns of Massachusetts,. who believed in
the imported British civil service reform
system and in the British revenue system
OF tariff for revenue only followed
the lead Of Curtis III their opposition
10 Blalne's election. President Eliot,
! Professor William Everett. Sherman Hoar.
John +. Andrew, free traders and civil
service reformers, went over TO the De-
| mocracy under the lead Of Curtis. and
still follow that flag. While Mr.. Curtis
! did not leave the Republican, party as an
honorable gentleman should. neverthe-
less he was doubtless sincere in his free
| trade opinions, and in his fauatical be-
| lief ths; civil service reform Was an issue
| Of supreme importance necessary 10 sal
| walton Of the state.
| In his lannon's address before the Phi
Beta Kappa Society OF Harvard college.
June ~, ISL. Wendell Phillips said
| Scholars who play statesmen and editors
| who masquerade rs scholars can waste
much excellent Anxiety tina; clerks shall
I