The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-12-20
.MORALSOFAUTHORS
Works OF Many Writers Are Better
Than Themselves.
VALUED FOR INTRINSIC MERIT
Without Regard TO the Authors Morals,
The Quality OF thr Book The Main Cone
'Iasration-Any Other Course, n Eol-
'owsd Out, wOula Land u, In ENDLESS
plmeuItlp,,
Lady Cook, nee Tennessee Claim, in

@-
Lady Cook, nee Tennessee clatlin, in
London Letter,
1t is a melancholy fact that the
morals OF writer's and their writings
have often been at variance, A large
number of distinguished authors, whose
works have become immortal, and
whom Il would be lnvldious to mention,
have been men Of Indifferent lives, and
In some cases grossly dlSsolute and
abandoned. Their work, however, was
better than themselves, and has been
preserved and valued for It's intrinsic
merit. Genius and moral purity should
be inseparabie, but unfortunately II Is
not so, AS q rule, men OF great abilities
have claimed for themselves q license
denied to meuner murtals, and on the
whole II has been regretfully conceded
to them.
For Just as we pardon the private fol-
lies and wickedness OF those monarchs
who have ruled well, so with these, the
true kings OF men, mankind Mas been
lenient to their faults for the sake Of
their great public usefulness, Strange
to say, no matter TO what department
OF intellectual or artistical greatness
WI mug buEH buE Ngtt we oSScTft ANnA
It's most splendid members have very
frequently been DISTINGUISHED for ec-
centricity or reckles8ncas; they oar
higher and fall lower than other
Great wits 10 madness are allied" said
the poet, and thus brilliant abilities
have been too often united to moral
worthlcssness. But by universal prnc-
tlce and consent. a distinction has been
preserved between the worker and his
work. Each has been judged separates
~, and thus some OF the priceless Intel
lectual and artistic treasures OF past
times have come down 10 us. whereas
otherwise they would have been lost. II
wes chiefly reserved for this century,
and notably since the days OF Wesley
and Lord Byron. to attempt to eusur
q mans work by the standard OF his
moral character, This spirit, however.
has never been so remarkably exhibited
us during the last few weeks. And MS II
appears to be opposed TO sound sensc
and TO the public welfare, we desire TO
question It's utility and therefore It's
morality.
Lately an author and playwright OF
some considerable reputation has been
convicted by a jury OF Infamous crlml-
nRllty. Before his convlctiOn-lndeed,
as soon as he was charged-his works
were in some places withheld from the
public. Even u member OF the West
minister Vestry gave notice TO move
that they be withdrawn from the two
public libraries In Westminster, and
that the other local authorities In Lon
don be requested to take the same
course in regard TO the libraries under
their control" Several libraries have
already done this. perhaps without
sufficient consideration. We have
never had any acquaintance whatever,
beyond common repute, with the author
in question or his literary works. But
these, we presume, were good to have
become so popular, and II they were
good then they must be the same now.
Here we regard only the principle In
Volyed. This resolves itself into the
query-should WI prohibit or refuse
good work because OF the immortality OF
the author or doer7
The absurdity OF an affirmative to
this question should be ~Eelf-evident,
and. II carried out, would land Us into
endless difficulties. II our baker bakes
good bread, or our bOotmhker makes
good boots, we do not ask whit are the
morals Of these tradesmen before eating
the bread and wearing the boots. 1t
would be agreeable TO know that they
are worthy people, and sad to think
them the reverse, but the usefulness Of
their handiwork would not be affected
by either sentiment, Indeed n ought
to be thankful TO be able to get a'Rood
thing at all without troubling about the
moral deficiencies OF the makers.
We do not inquire before buying a
picture whether the artist Is moral or
| otherwise. The quality OF the work Is
all we regard. II literature Ii TO be an
exception to this custom, there would
be very little left but that OF inferior
value, for, unfortunately, as We have
said, the men OF highest genius have
been too frequently OF extremely shnky
morals.
The virtuous vestrymnn OF Westmin-
ster no doubt goes to church regularly
and enjoys the Psalms OF David and the
| song OF his son Solomon But the worst
Of modern authors nre the pinks OF pro-
priety compared to those old poetic
Jews who perpetrated every villainy
under the sun. However. we do not on
| TINT account move that these amorous
and religious illusions be withdrawn
! from Westminster Abbey and our other
churches. on the contrary, II their
| perusEi will do anybody any good. by
| ali means let people read them. And
let us thank God that Il Is possible to
educe good from evil. and to paint the
beauty OF the rose and the fairness OF
the lily from the ordure OF the stable.