New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-06

very genial and cstmablc gentleman who
for great many years sat in seat IN tn" Amcri-
can Congress. around which, even in the bitter
est Of political contests in tho midst Of which
no always welded shining blade there glowcd
the sunshine of merry temper and kindly
heart. once wrote a book with the title ''Nhy
We Laugh" 1t was full Of philosophy, and Of
what is better even than philosophy, though
often its product, of rollicling good nature that
captivating quality which carries everything
which wins its own way over prejudice and
prposscSsion; which makes men forget differ
ences and melt together. Samuel $. Cox was a
philosopher; a humorst; and in his way states
man. Statesman by virtue o, long experience
in public affairs; not great in invention or
originality, or in any depth Of purpose or seadl-
ness of conviction outside Of tho political tradi-
tons in which he was trained and TO which he
remained true but still n statesman And he
was full of kindness and good nature. 50
that he was not more honorcd and admired by
his political associates than respected and loved
by the political opponents with whom he sat
down when the contests OF the day were over
and whichever way they went found occasion
in them for merrimcnt and fun. IL laughed
and he made other people laugh, and he wrote
most interesting book OVERLOOKING with hi
own good nature, entitled Why We Laugh"
There is another philosophy of laughter. 1t
is epitomized in a paragraph in our sometimes
morry, but not always gcnia, contemporary
| 1.-The Evening Post" 1t is interesting as a CON
tribution to the literature of the subject. Says
our contemporary "Thc Funny, like the
Beautiful and the Good, is an ultimate fact Of
each individuals consciousness. One OF the
most foolish questions one can put % fellow
man is, Why do You laugh?' The answer is
always the same: Because | cannot help il.
Each man has his own sense Of the ridiculous
which absolutely controls his facial and coSa
muscles Ills laughter comes on him like the
wind he knows not whence, and leaves him he
knows not when" The purpose Of this elucda-
ton of "The Funny" is to explain why orr CON
temporary, and other persons whom 1t does not
name whose aims may be high and their moral
natures pure even il their ninth be unSccmy"
laughed over the conclusion of the CHILEAN i'm
broglio. Laughed-not CHEEKY, hearty, whole
some laugh because the National dignity had
been maintained and peace preserved, but be-
cause the whole business in its inception and its
outcome was " ridiculous
On the whole, the explanation is not Superflu-
Gus. 1t is the philosophy of laughter in which
the essential element Of good nature is lacking
and as such is an interesting contribution to the
literature of the subject. The chronic solcmnity
of "Thc Evening POST is such THAI on those
rare occasions on which it is stirred To mrth the
question naturally arises in the mind of the
reader. "Why do you laugh ?" And the answer
Il hat 4 hnI,
it. that its laughter comes like the wind, it knows
not whence and leaves 1t knows not when.
There could hardly be better explanation
For "The Evening POST never laughs when
ANYBODY else does, or if it does, 1t laughs for
so different reason that il feels constrained t.
answer Immediately the up-sprlnging inquiry in
every readers breast, "Why do you laugh ?"
with "Because | cannot help it, Beyond that
nothing except that " each man has his own
sense of the ridiculous" y little insufficient,
perhaps, but il will do. The difference between
the laugh CT The Evening Post" which 1t feels
called upon to explain and the ordinary good
natlired laugh of the average man Is that the
latter is good -natured and hearty, and nobody
hearing it ever says Why? Our contemporary
laugh suggests that something unpleasant has
occurred somewhere, and everybody says Why
Still, it is not always easy TO account for high
spirits gentleman sojournlng in Nevada
town some years ago observed one morning an
elderly person who was kicked over the distance
of half block by an excited puHuer. During
the performance the elderly person laughed i'm
moderately without turning his head. Upon
being asked the occasion for his hilarty under
such circumstances he replied that it was the
! funniest thing he ever saw. that the man who