The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-06
A PLEA FOR THE BEST
Brilliant Argument in Behalf of
Purity in Literary Work.
Complete and Accurate Report of the
Hon. w. p. FishbacS's Address Be-
fore the Literary Union.

on Tuesday before the Union OF Literary
Clubs BY Hon ". p. FishDack, but through
a misconstruction OF orders only a portion
OF the paper appeared. The address con-
tains 50 much Of merit and the writer is
so felicitous in expression, that the Journal
believes ii Is doing the literary public a
favor In presenting in full this admirable
paper.
MIR. Rudyard Kipling.' said Mr.. Fish
back, SIS reported as saying in London
a few days ago that America is like
a great camp or railway station, in
which everybody is moving or preparing to
move. In such a place the still. small voice
OF literature. which comes with its plea
for compOsure and serenity, has small
chance OF being heard. The criticism OF
the young Englishman, though somewhat
exaggerated. emphasizes the Importance OF
the task which literature, and literature
alone. can and must perform for this pros
Porous. busting, avaricious land OF ours;
which. with all its boundless resources and
opportunities. has. as yet. put so little OF
permanent value into the great treasury
10 which humanity must ever look for
solace and support.
Il welcome you to-day as representatives
OF a tendency IN the direction OF a better
state OF things. The literary club should
be an organization with a distinctive pur-
pose TO create. cultivate and strengthen
a taste for what is best in literature. The
phrase national literature is losing its
meaning. IL II ever had any, and humanity
Is coming to understand that anything
sound and wholesome and grand and in
spring in the realm of poetry, drama, hc-
ton. philosophy and criticism is literature
without reference 10 its source. be IL Amer
lean, Greek, Roman, German, French, En-
glish or Scandinavian. The weird litera-
ture-for which phrase 1 am indebted to
G0ethe-comes to mankind of all creeds
and nat1onalitieS with the same message.
lie really great writers, whose works sur
y1ye all political revolutions and trans
formations, are all cosmopolitan
Il suppose no one will consider that lit
erary clubs are formed in Indiana for the
purpose or creating or stimulating a de
sire Tor reading. or writing. There Is really
sonetnlng appalling In the multiplication OF
DOCKS IN these latter days. Wood-puIp
machines, steam and electric printing
presses. furnish unlimited facilities for pub
location, and an overstimulated and raw
en- yds appetite for all sorts of reading
makas a market which never seems to be
sIgrssd Books nutritious. poisonous. and
rsadirg public with amazing fecundity, and
.ae horse-Iesch cry of Give. give constant
* Hose whose jaded appetites call for new
s,fmnlgE. Doctor johnson was wont to
him rannlage the shelves: let him byoU :
al libitum In the literary pasture. and he
sort cf elective affinity, I suppose This
nhgnt De so In a library selected by a
stern old smSralist like DR.. Johnson. a
RELOCATED 10 the top shelves and remote
corners questionable books. and from which
orOusIy. excluded. With such IA" a censorship aSs4 mn
the bad results from promiscuous reading
very different thing from allowing full i'm.
spection and free selection among the book
stalls Of the Rue Rivoli and back-ailey
DOOk vendors IN London and New XorE
Hhen Madame De Stael says that the mis-
Snlet OF bad books is only to be corrected
quenees OF what she is pleased 10 term
MiuminatioR are to be avoided by making
herself 10 be a poor physician for the soul
TO Follow a dose OF F1aubert with one Of
a liberal rn pre sasa sR 100 of E zola she aS s9iri T5sd by
would not benefit the patient. An excur,
drama and fiction. where. to use John Ran
uoiph's rather. unsayory but expressive
METAPHOR the putrescent pages OF Tolstoi.
ers shine and smell. and smell and shine
Ike rotten mackerel by moonlight, results
always and inevitably in moral and intel.
lectual deterioration.
PITCH THAT DEFILES.
There is a thing. Harry says Falstaff.
which thou hast often heard of, and IL is
known TO many IN our land by the name
OF pitch; this pitch, as ancient writer's do
report. doth dehie: so dost the companv
thou keepest' And SO the Christian Paul.
borrowing from the Pagan Menander. tells
Us also how evil communications corrupt
good manners. The man or woman emerc-
ing from a mud bath of realistic fiction
has need to clamor with Lear for an ounce
OF civet 10 sweeten Imagination. That such
men and maidens should read and taiR
about them Ia an artless Japanese fashion
dence or shyness.. is simply s bace OF dim
70 uhlnK that the pestilential brood OF writ
ers who produce this stuff call it literature.
and by the aid of some critics are seeking
10 push from their stools the honored men
and women who should rule in the liter
ary, world by divine right Because Crom-
Well said. Paint me as / am-war and
all IS no reason why the literary Jack
dirty fingers into the weak and sore spots
or our poor human nature and exhibiting
the results of their discoveries. Many
things are taken for granted as forming a
part OF our daily lives about which we do
not care 70 write, or talk, or think. The
Tor the excrescences which are found upon
the roots OF the oak. but / much doubt If
he has any SORT Of conception OF the tow
ering majesty OF the noble tree. When 7
am enjoying the beauty and fragrance of
lie pond N.Y. 1 DO not take it as an act of
nose a handful Of She black muck in which
Its roots are imbedded.
IN the Nineteenth Century Magazine for
April countess Cowper makes a strong plea
for purity and decency. and against what
she designateS as the realism OF TODAY
She shows how the tendency to vulpaTitv
and nastiness is strong in the arts of 5ainf-
Ing and sculpture. as well as in the realms
or drama and fiction. / will quote a single
paragraph from her admirable essay: we
may safely say. says she. that by some
writer's OF fiction, In France, especially. we
are given nothing but the worst side of hu-
man na~ture-exquisitely described. IL may
be. as TO style, but none the less To- b.
~condenneds the fact that a book is called
powerfully written not being. as is some
times urged. excuse enough to condone an
else. As We have already said. we are told
that there are characters existing in every
age and IN every grade OF life SO utterly
vile that there IS not the smallest shark
or good 10 be discerned in them. and il n
writer chooses 70 reproduce such a charac-
ter. IL Is intended to serve as a warning
against the vileness and baseness ne is
representing But. IN the first place. the
truth OF this theory OF total depravity NAV
Wei be doubted. a universal law demands
the good and the bad in mems natures as
surely as the sunlight demands the shadow
And moreover. In the second place
Is me lesson thus taught by the modern
pitifui exposition OF vice and crime likely
70 be one OF warning, or will not the false
hess OF the mode OF teaching miss its mark
The harm done Is not only, OF course bv
anording an education in the degrading
things or life, but also, and mainly. be-
cause hy the assumption that these are
the ordinary occurrences in everyday life
among the majority OF our fCllOW-crpaf1ras