The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-02-28
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boundary ues.
Especial Jouuaubldyuuol
NEW NOUE, Jam. ---rv1 articles OF CON
siderable interest both to publishers and to
those who earn a living Is literature have
recently appeared Ia one OF the greater
magazines, each of them sounding note
of complaint, one somewhat threatening
and the other respondent. One Of these
articles was written by u writer who has
gained some repute although no great
fame, by some lifelike sketches Of western
ufe-Mr. Iamliu Garland The other was
written by am able lawyer, an eastern man
a. Mr. Garland is a western one
Mr. Garland complains that there is a
conspiracy or something like it--tacit and
uuacknowledged perhaps-hy which ii is
understood that the east shall not recog-
uize or giveauy considerable support to the
writers Of the west, and he iutimntes that
"a great reading public will spring up i'm
the west which will repay these writers
with fame and fortune, so that it will make
no difference to them however much of In
difference their works receive in the east.
Mr. Stevens, the lawyer, goes much far
ther than Mr. Garland, claiming that there
are influences at work In this country which
have prevented any commanding writer of
literature to appear in America for many
years, and it seems to be his opinion that
until these influences are overcome the
United States will not keep pace with Eng
land in showing to the world great masters
of thought expressed in powerful prose or
poetry. At a recent gathering In an east
ern city where there were publishers, writers
of great ability, although Of no particular
public fame these two articles were dis
D., IA of
citemeut. and in the course of the converse.
ton it, was shown that the point Of view of
each Of these writers leads them to wholly
erroneous conclusions.
one of the publishers said that it had
been his experience that there was no sec
tiunal discrimination in favor of or against
true literature, and going back to his own
recollection he instanced some striking facts
in proof of his assertion.
First of all, he mentioned Mark Twain. n
western man, born and bred in the valley
of the Mississippi and doing his first writ
ing in the region Of the Rocky mountains.
! Although he now Is an eastern man-al.
/ most cosmopolitau-yet his stories are
[ for the most part of western life They
| have been accepted by the English speaking
/ world. and some of the greatest critics, like
/ Andrew Lang, believe that his works are
| destined to longer life than those of any
/ other American of his generation.
There was no sectional recognition or in.
difference to Mark Twain. Then again Mr.
/ Howells was referred TO as proof of the
statement that Mr.. Garland has been mis-
] taken in his assertions. Howells received
/ the literary training in his impressionablt
/ age in the west, where he was born anC
I where he lived until he was "A years of age
| The works which gave him his first fam,
were written before he had ever been in tn,
east, excepting on brief pleasure trip ant
on his way to Venice. He is always Spoken
of as an Ohio man, Notwithstanding hi
long residence in Boston.
Then again it was said that the most sue
cessful book in recent years was written b!
western man in his country home in TIN
west-Genersl Lew Wallace and his TO
nance entitled "Ben-lIur." The first recog
milton of very remarkable book, so unique
ly written and printed that the work upoI
it was done in the evening and it was actu
ally set up and printed in the office of I
country newspaper, fell fiat when it wa
first published and received its recognition
and fame in a faroff city upon the Atlanti
/ coast. That was Mr.. Howe's "Story of
Country Town"
Octave Thanet's readers are bounded b
no sectional lines, although she lives i
Iowa. Miss Murfree, hidden for many veal
under male nom de plume, had game
recognition as one of the most brilliant
American novelists, and Miss Evans ST
ries, written in the far southwest, were a
cepted with delight by readers all over ii
. country. Bret Harte gained his fame
: writing western stories, from which pu
suit he has never deviated. So that it WI
y the opinion of this experienced publish,
=, that if the stories appealed to the Peep
they would be welcomed without any re
erence to the section which they portraye
or in which their writers live.
Mr.. Stevens complains that the might
rush of immigration beginning somewhel
about 1890 has choked American liter
ture, and that America has produced L
giants Of literature born since that yea
Yet American literature has been enriche
by immigrants and the children of imm
grants. Mrs. Burnett was born in Enl
b land. James Parton was Of foreign brit
Miles O'Reilly-better known by that MOI
j, de plume than by his real name, Charles [
Halpine-of Irish birth, was pre- eminentl
the poet of the war, O'Hart, whose lin,
e beginning ION Fame's eternal campin
ground are immortal, was of foreign brit
Agassiz was Of foreign birth. Brady, Cocl
ran, McDougall, Baker and many otht
orators whose names are traditional wei
not native Americans. So that it was sal
that, whatever may have been the effect
immigration, American literature has bee
greatly enriched by the works of those nc
born in this country.
1t was the opinion Of the publishers an
> some of the writers who were there th1
one of the chief reasons why pre-eminer
literary genius is not recognized now
that men who might have the capacity IL
such pursuit have been distracted by ii
more exciting and profitable opportuniti'
which the development of the wealth {
the United States has been Offering and
was Chauncey NJ. Depew who said tina
there We're dozen men prominent in grea
affairs of business or finance who woui
have been able, had they turned their attel
ton to literature, to match the ablest thf
Great Britain has produced.
+. j. EDWARDS.
He Didn't Know Them.
YES, said the principal of the young Ii