The sun., 1893-03-03
FRIDAY. MARCH 8. 1898.
Hoax MYTH.

Il is now more than two weeks since Mr.
CLEVELAND gave publicity to tho name OF
HoKE SMITH, and the incredulity with
which that name was regarded has not dis
appeared. Indeed 1t seems to DO on the In
crease. After satisfying itself as to HoKE
SMITHS entity, THE Sun announced that he
was not less real than Col. ABE SLUPsKY.
whose name and fame are universally recog-
nized. Notwithstanding this announce
ment. every mail brings letters in which the
writer's declare themselves unable to be-
lieve that HoKE SMITH is anything but q
ngment. Nearly oil Of these communica-
lions are fed to the Office Cat. as were most
Of the letters questioning tho existence OF
Col. ABE SLUrsKY. The name and fame Of
SLuPsKY were destined from tho first. TO 20
laundering down the ages. So. 1t appears,
are the name and fame OF HoKE SMITH
and before long the time must come whenit
will be rs hard to find HoKE SMITH skeptic
- It now Is to find an ABE SLUPsKY skeptic.
Yet 1t is not strange that so many men.
women. and children find 1t almost impos-
sible to associate the name OF HoKE SMITH
with being OF flesh and blood. Pronounce
It aloud: Hoax MYTH Now suppose 1t
had been announced two weeks ago that
Mr.. CLEVELAND had decided to give FAKE
YARN a place In his Cabinet. Does FAKE
YARN sound less like the name Of bona
ide citizen OF this republic than Hoax
MYTH or HoKE SMITH? II there is any
preponderance Of probability it Is on tho
side Of tho combination. FAKE YARN. There
u not much choice between n hoax and q
"fake." Tho former Is little the moro repu-
table. perhaps. but neither conveys any
Idea OF reality. AS between myth and n
yarn. the advantage is largely In favor OF
the yarn. In tho Crock mvthos Is word
and nothing more: hence. n story in
which there is nothing back OF the nero
words, thing or somebody that exists
only In name. A yarn Is an ampliflcation
of n fact. It is always understood that
there Is basis OF truth. however small.
Thus sailors yarn about a mermaid may
have u goldfish Mt the bottom OF it. But
hoax. myth. hoax myth tthe hoax being
used adjectivcly. rs IL for intcnsification).
hoax-myth ithe hyphen expressing blend
ing OF siGnflcations). or HoKE SMITH: no
wonder that the public finds it next to i'm.
possible to believe that these sounds sepa-
rately or in their various combinations
can stand for anything but n figment.
Again. tho sponsors for the reality OF HoKE
SMITH invited the suspicion Of protesting
too much when they averred that HoKE
SMITH weighed 235 Tor was it 325 y pounds
That these sounds which. in other cases
represent Pigments. should stand in this ono
instance for substance. in weight nearly
equal to TINT OF two men. seemed prcposter-
GUS. 1t would have seemed more nearly
credible II it had been asserted that HoKE
SMITH. while he was an indisputable reality,
weighed not moro than the average OF man
kind. or say 1856 lbs. oz
But the period OF doubt has almost ex-
pired. Ever since the second or third day
after Mr. CLEvELAND's announcement. We
have maintained that there is a HoKE
SMITH just as surely as there is Col. ABE
SLuPsKY. Within a few days the new Cabi-
net will be on exhibition. and all who wish
to take the trouble can satisfy themselves
rs to whether HoKE SMITH Is in 1t. Mean
whtie let them study the official portrait
which TIE Sun published yesterday.