The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-11

Why the People Were Reluctant to BE.
lieve There Was Such . Man.

Why the People Were Reluctant to Be-
lieve There Was Such . Man.
New York Sun.
1t Is now more than two weeks since Mr..
Cleveland gave publicity to the name of Hoke
Smith. and the incredulity with which that
name was regarded has not disappeared.
Indeed. 1t seems to be on the increase. After
satisfying himself as to Hoke Smiths entity,
the Sun announced that he was not less real
than Col. Abe Siupsky. whose name and fame
are universally recognized. Notwithstanding
this announcement, every mail brings letters in
which the writer's declare themselves unable to
believe that Hoke Smith In anything but fig.
ment Nearly all of these communications are
fed to the Office cat as were most of the letters
questioning the existence of Col. Abe Slupsky.
The name and fame of Slupsky were destined
from the first to go laundering down the ages.
So. II appears, are the name aud fame of HOke
Smith: and before long the time must come
when 1t will be As hard to find Hoke Smith
skeptic a. Il now il to find an Abe Supsky
skeptic.
Yet it 10 not strange that 90 many men,
women and children find it almost impossible to
associate the name OF Hoke smith with a 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 place in his cabinet Does
Fake Yarn sound less like the name OF a bona
Hoke Smith? If there is any preponderancc of
probability it IS on the side of the combination,
Fake Yarn. There is not much choice between
hoax and flake" The former is little
the more reputable. perhaps, but neither con.
veys any idea OF reality. AS between myth
and q yarn. the advantage is largely in favor OF
the yarn. In the Greek niythos is a word and
nothing more: hence, a story In which there 10
nothing back OF the mere words, thing or
somebody which exists only in name. yarn
10 an application of fact 1t 10 always I'M
derstood that there is q basis of truth, however
small Thus sailors yarn about mermaid
may have . Goldfish at the bottom OF it But
hoax, myth, hoax myth (the hoax being used
adjecrively. - II for intensifcation), hoax-myth
(ihe hyphen expressing blending OF signiti.
cations), or Hoke Smith: no wonder that the
public finds IL next TO impossible to believe
that these sounds separately or in their various
combinations can stand for anything but fig.
ment
Again, the sponsors for the reality OF Hoke
Smith invited the suspicion of protesting TOO
much when they averred that Hoke smith
weighed 235 tor WAS II S25 , pounds. That these
sounds which. In other cases represent pigments.
should stand in this one instance for substance.
In weight nearly equal 20 that OF two men,
seemed preposteroua 1t would have seemed
more nearly cred BILE ii ii had been asserted that
Hoke Smith, while he was al indispu,able real.
ity, weighed not more than the average OF man
kind. or say l55 pounds s ounces.
But the period OF doubt has almost expired
Ever since the second or third day after Mr..
Cleveiand's announcement, We have maintained
tina. there IL . HoKe Smith tast a. surely a.
there is Col. Abe Slupsky. Within q few days
the new cabinet will be on exhibition, and all
who wish 10 take the t-onble can satisfy them
selves as 10 whether Hoke smith is in it. Mean
while let them study the Official portrait which
the San published yesterday