The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-06-20
The Critics Criticised.


raeli. and one can almost hear the Gym.
cal old statesmans "Humphv as he
replies to his own query with ''Why,
thew are the men who have failed in
literature and art"
Disraeli's cynicism made the world
at large and the writer in particular,
believe that he had soured upon all
mankind: nevertheless beneath his Gull
tivated acidity there was always to be
found those particles Of truth, accumu--
lated from a diverse and real eXper-
fence: and which, in their sum, repre-
sented the best thought of large pro-
portion of intelligent people. Per-
tinent and even singing as the states
mans original application was at the
time. it comes no less forcibly to point
when considering certain class of
so-called critics in the worlds OF art
and philanthropy today.
It has become the fashion for men and
women who are by nature and inclina-
ton untitled for any actual production
of good works themselves, to light up
on some one phase or another OF moo
ern life. either artistic or economic or
philanthropic or social, and IN their
dilettante style (Which word, by the
Wav, is much abused set themselves
up arbitrarily as the arbiter perfect OF
all things, concerns and ideas radlatlng
within their little, set, circles. Human
nature is inverse and peculiar. When
we become too old to sin, we begin to
!, moralize; when we realize that we are
individually incapable of performing
, what others perform, there is always
the open privilege of criticism. So
= with these self-appointed critics, whose
5 names are found appended to column
5 articles and magazine screeds from the
l Atlantic to the Pacific. Unable them
e selves to contribute successfully TO-
y permanent art or literature, they install
: themselves as judges infinite upon the
t merits and aspirations of those whose
a originality and perseverance have won
r for them an established recognition
s. amongst people who think and know;
h rather than the fawning favor of the
J. few within the clique of envy.
v The modern social and artistic world
d is filled with people of the perversely
z cynical class. Men and women who
re wake of morning to find themselves
lie famous" with that kind of fame that
)e arises from the felicitious quoting OF
ct someone else's VISIONS and With
c. cisms. 1t is surprising how very posi-
tn BILE it is to gull society. In fact one IS
ed forced to believe that society rather
i'll enjoys being gulled and entertalns and
he listens to the humbug, because SAID
it. humbug constitutes great amuse-
k ment for them. 1t is surprising too'
IN how very possible it is for men ana
of women to gain what the politician
Dr. would call ''pull" in society, and how
he very facile these men and women be-
mt come in the use Of abuse concerning the
ur intentions and achievements of other
ity men and women who are not using
mt their brains for the delectatlOn' OF any
in Int the serious minded, most sensible
,ur cultivation of the day.
be AS for instance. are to be found IL
rty Chicago eastern drawing rooms thos
the persons whose penchant for the =
in have here a little paper with me" OF
art topics that are likely as not to be ava.
or above their experience or intelligence
or whose performances In this line ar
re orayely chronicled in the daily socla
adj columns and duly featured in blzarr
hat Sunday editions; supposedly swalloWe
OBJ nv the select nonentities before who1
ask thew are read; and decidedly ignore
18th bv the quiet workers in the very realm
alb of art of which the dilettante trea
are And nothing in modern achleveme1
able is valuable in the eyes of the dilettant
lib It matters not that the time and PEI
49," ple of which Hugo and the eld'
tect Dumas wrote are diametrical opp
lose sites of Kipling's, and Stevenson
pro- and Stoves, and Davis, and Ripley
and even Bill Nye's worlds. Becau
ime, the seal of approval is set upon VIII
test ings and writer's of by-gone day, u
buzz-fy dilettante infers that latter az
WIN life and gray matter cannot evolve
your narailel of excellence although tt
the very nature and marrow OF the ma
boar tiers he dissimilar. The works OF O
good writers of the day shall prai
Oh them in the gates of posterlty, t.
Dy critics to the contrary, notWltnsCa!
alert ing. Success delivers its own verol
d do Penny Press.