The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-19

turf as he has in politics. Every circum-
stance that the ingenious mind could
twist into evidence calculated TO corrob-
crate these insinuations affecting his
honor has been carefully collected. and
the suicide OF his young private secre-
tary, whom he had previously caused TO
be created a peer; his aversion 10 riding.
cricket and other forms OF manly exer-
else, and even the persistent insomnia
which is threatening to wreck not only
his physical but his mental health are
all used TO besmirch his character.
OF the private secretary's suicide II
must be added that the young man was
a brother of Lord Alfred Douglas. the
associate of Oscar Wilde. and, If all ac-
counts are 10 be believed. he shared
perhaps innocently-Lord Alfred's ad-
miration for the fat. vulgar and now
fallen apostle OF the aesthetic cult.
There is only one way OF putting an
end to all this gossip, which owing to its
persistency and its publicity. cannot be
permitted to pass unchallenged. and that
is TO make Ii thoroughly clear that
neither the law nor the police are shield
ing ally one in connection with the prose-
cution of Oscar Wilde and his confeder-
ates The policy of shielding prominent
people In scandalous affairs such as these
is productive OF far more harm than good.
since it invariably has the effect of leav-
ing suspicion 20 rest upon the shoulders
OF persons that are entirely innocent.
Perhaps there was no more notable case
in point than that OF the poor Duke Of
Clarence, the most innocent and pure
minded OF men of his age that 1t is posi-
BILE to imagine. He had been taken TO
that Infamous house In Cleveland street
by his lifelong friend and equerry, Lord
Arthur Somerset. TO see a valuable buhl
cabinet, and left Immediately after hav-
ing inspected ii, not having been more
than five minutes In the place. Lord Ar
thur knew at the time that the house
was being watched by the police. that he
himself was under suspicion, and he ex
pected that the fact that the young
prince had been seen to enter the house
would cause the authorities TO hesitate
before instituting criminal proceedings.
True. they did hesitate. and the matter
was referred 10 no less a person than the
Prince of Wales himself. who insisted
that the police should do their duty. I'm
fortunately Lord Arthur was permitted
to escape. Had he been arrested and
placed in the dock. cross examination
would have ELECTED and made public to
all the world the shameful manner In
whieh the Duke OF Clarence had been
treated, the royal lads innocence would
have been made clear and he would not
have gone down to an untimely grave
with this horrible suspicion resting upon
hin-at any rate in the minds OF igno-
rant people.
1t would be wrong to infer from these
legal proceedings which have eliminated
in the arrest OF Oscar Wilde that English
society is more corrupt, more immoral
and more vile now than heretofore, or
that Il resembles Rome in the days of its
decadence. Moreover. as an Englishman.
I would venture TO add that II Is not
worse than the majority OF other great
cities rs regards vice. II Il Is acquiring
a reputation that can only be compared
10 that of the cities popularity believed
to have been overwhelmed by the Dead
Sea IN consequence Of their wickedness
It Is because the English people, like their
cousins on this side OF the water. are adj
dictcd 10 the habit Of occa sionally call
Ing upon all the world to observe and in
spect their plague spots. much in1 the
same way that the Oriental beggars call
the attention Of the public to their sores.
We are told that this IS done in the hope
that the fear inspired by publicity may
act as a deterrent upon those inclined 10
evil. But does Il? Are not the creatures
addicted 10 vices OF these kinds so utter
~ lost to all moral sense and shame as
70 be Indifferent to publicity save in it's
penal consequences? And Is not infin-
itely more harm done by instilling the
idea that such crimes are possible in the
minds OF people who have hitherto en-
offenses? In times gone by such cases
as that of oscar Wilde used TO be tried
IN camera, and all that the public learned
In the matter was a curt intimation in
the law reports of the London Times,
that so and so had been sentenced. either
20 hanging or 20 a long term Of penal SER
vitude for an unnamed offense" That
was all. and those brief reports certainly
did far more good. both in the terror
they inspired and by their absence of all
information calculated to corrupt inno-
cence. than the elaborate and verbatim
reports now published about Oscar
Wlldes trial in the London newspapers.
II any proof were needed that England
Ia no more corrupt at the present mo-
uent than IL was IN the early part OF
the century. Il il only necessary to re-
mind the readers OF the Recorder that
IN lSc2 the Marquis Of Londonderry. one
OF the foremost statesmen and diplomats
Of the Napolenoic era. and at the time
secretary Of state for foreign affairs COM
mtted suicide IN consequence Of his ina
bility ~ comply any longer with the ex-
tortIons OF gang OF blackmailers who
for years had been trading on the knowl-
edge OF his completely IN oTenses similar
10 those laid at the door OF Oscar wilde.
No mention. however was made OF this
in the newspapers Of that day. and our
knowledge OF the circumstances that led
70 his death is based on tradition and IN
the memoirs Of his contemporaries. The
fact OF the matter ia that vice existed 20
quite as great an extent a hundred years
ago as in English society as IL does to-
day. the only difference being that even
in the days Of SmodIett and Dean Swift
II was not so publicly talked about and
published as Il is nowadays.
II there Is any Gecadence IN English
society. II is 20 ne found in the fashion
now prevalent Of talking about things.
and above all. printing them. that should
ne left unspoken and uuwrltten IN the
interests OF public morality.
What Is particularly entertaining n
this oscar wilde episode * the sensation
which Il seems 70 have created IN London.
and from which one would imagine that
his peculiar doctrines II art and morality
were a perfect revelation - society az
large Yet his uusavory habits have been
a matter Of common gossip for th@ past
ten or fifteen years among all those who
possessed any GCQuaintance with London
or Partisan lfe. They were even sub
3ecs % riGicule. and had not Lord Queens
berry practically compelled the law 20
take coEuiEaDce Of his oEeuEes be might
have gone ora coTFGptinE such weak youths
as she misguided sons q the Marquis
wlta ifnpHn3fv. English people are very
odd IN this respect E.very row ana again
81 4