New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-18
THE TOLSTOI UTOPIA.

THE RUSSIAN AS A WRITER OF ENGLISH
THE SOCIALIST AS A WRITER WHO
TAKES NO PAY-THE NOTIONS OF
COUNT roLsTOI AND OF MR.. HOW. 4.
= ELLIS TOUCHING LITERARY Re-
~ :, ENUMERATION. -
| London. September N
| Count Tolstoi. with all his passion for plav,r.
the Christ OF the nineteenth century-he is YER,
"nn de steele" Christians a human side to hin,
and touch Of literary susceptibility. He writes
! TO his chosen English organ THE Chronicles
to complain gently OF the badness OF some Of IN.
| TRANSACTIONS OF his works. 1t often occurs sav,
| the Count that the translations made FINN
| incorrect manuscripts. But where do the trans.
| lators get incorrect manuscripts? Count Tol.
stoi writes Of himself little II he were a,
! ancient classic for whose text the modern reade,
is dependent upon some late transcript Of som.
| ignorant monk. II may, however, be that the
later works Of this extraordinary writer ara
| handed about In Russia In manuscript, for thu
greater part Of them not. he tells US, Dub.
lshed in that country. The censorship Is ttins
no man will defend, but It has occasional com.
which can only be stated In his own Language
One Ia "that the editors. sometimes uniting sew.
eral articles ad libitum under title substi.
tute thor own for mine, excluding whole pa,.
sages which does (sc) not please them do (sic,
not answer their purposes, declaring such mu,
tiiated editions TO be the only ones sanctioned
by the author" Another is as follows, verba.
tim:
II comes for sometimes that the translation
are so deficient in the Russian language, as well
as the one In which they translate, that they
completely misnterpret the original.
Whether Count Tolsto! knows English or any
English. whether nc himself has written this
letter in what m suppress to be English q
whether 1t has been rendered into the Language
above quoted whatever ii be. BY one OF those
translators whom he considers to be correct and
whom he Is going henceforth TO mark out among
Others" do not know It appears in a friendly
Journal: he cannot therefore say, nor his friends
for him. that enemy hath done this thing.
His admirers. in any care. Will rejoice 10 know
that they will in future have means Of distin.
gushing the true Tostoi gospel from the false.
The true will be marked out by making
notice that the same Transactions have been
done from genuine texts. and with my consent"
II is Just possible that even the admirers and
idoaters NAV wonder whether their EvangeL
though undoubtedly the repository Of the true
faith ts the best possible Judge Of the correct.
ness OF the English versions Of his new tesla.
ments.
II was known before that Count Tos,o does
not or does not now take pay for his writings
He refuses 10 write for money. he refuses TO ac-
cept a royalty or other pecL MARY reward for his
books or for the TRANSACTIONS OF them. Nobody
need quarre. with his decision so far as II affects
himself alone But his English organ. following
believe Mr. Howes well Count Tostot
discusses the general question Of literary remun.
Grafton. The Russian euthor may be, and be.
lieve e. In circumstances which permit him to
make a present OF his work to the world He
does It on the ground that It is a spiritual gin
~ mankind. and that the gifts OF genius as well
as Of religion ought 10 b. free to all.
That raises at once the question whether Ia
the case Of any author who meditates similar
benevolence. his writings are or are not works
Of genius. Is the author TO decide for himself!
Is somebody 10 decide for him. and II So who7
Mr.. Howells seems TO nave argued-if DO MIN
injustice II Is not my fault. but that OF his adj
mirer who cites him. the editorial writer IN 'he
Tostoi organ-that there is no relation Whatever
between any work Of genius and any here
money value and he appears TO nave cHeo
Paradise Lost" as an example. That. beyond
doubt. was work Of genius ard II was sold fof
"A few pounds but had IT fetched large
sum no large sum- says Mr.. Howes. could have
represented the value Of II TO the Englsn peo
pie That Is AS neat ar example OF Socia!isue
logic as has lately been seen. Because the puole
could not pay the author all his WORK was worth
10 them and 20 all succeeding generations there
fore they should pay him nothing Because MiI'on
got only a few pounds therefore no other author
should get anything. Becau 'e-but 1t Is useiess"
apply logic to outbursts Of sentiment Milton got
what he could for his poem and made careiw
bargain in writing. as ali the world knows why
he should be alleged G., an argument asaihse
other authors who also get what they can ana
make such bargains as the publishers VIII agree
to. passeth the understanding Of all but Social
lists and writer's To whom sentiment is before al
things.
Count Tolstoi has perceived that the au'h"
might object TO his theory the ground tnss
all authors are not Tolstos. and that many Oh
them are dependent on their writings for theF
daily bread This last plea does seem to move
the sometimes compassionate soul of the Musco-
vl,e nob.eman. and alsc that OF the American
novelist. who. like the Mrscovite. feels himself
called upon to do something for the revolution
ary regeneration Of the world They both say:
Let the writer have some other trade or industry
than that OF writing and for the other let MIN
be paid. Let him labor with his hands for MS
bodily necessities; on that Kind of labor pIce
can be set and for IT money may be paid Iha'
is their solution OF the somewhat personal o0
lection OF the author 10 this large theory o.
universal beneticence. II Is. from one point "
view or for one purpose quite apart from 'hs'
OF those who PROFOUND it. worth examining
Even Socialist may become useful wneh ns
pins himself down TO some definite statement "
O remedy. IT,.
presume Count Tostoi and Mr. HOVER"
would admit that the manifestations OF genius
or M the spirit are not confined 10 mere wiring
a. rrirl Ting MnlC1