New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-11
"THE WASPS"IN NETWORK
ED TO PRESENT CONDITIONS TAM
MANY HALL IN THE LIGHT
OF ATHENIAN SATIRE-A
BRILLIANT SIYCGESTION
BRILLIANT SUGGESTION.

OF ATHENIAN sATIRE-A
BRILLIANT SUGGESTION.
From The London Spectator.
How is It that political satire as moving force
or two OF bright and qS charming political hum0T
Ting. oeep-biting political satire which pulls down
statesmen and Institutions and makes great Lead
World shows fe% or no examples one could
a at eamb rid ess
Ing this fact. The spirited and brilliant rendering
orcd satire the Athenlan democracy brought
home the almost complete allowance mo when po,
public Controversy It has as we have said ceased
10 exist No one now uses poetry much less a
msed Yet f now as IN former days the drama /.
popular mind You can never be quite s sure srs sha
hs Es the .S MHrs T To make sA every tell
car give real object,esson to the grown,n,p
no: because we have no public abuses. or because
PATTY spr does not run high hat we naye no
There are hundreds of themes ready to hand and and
OF cry rn MaT ike % become s ne h
true Of the United states There the drama is in
teEsey popuar ana genuine part Of city o iie;
and humorous. and there would be no more fear
Ei Rsn social and q
OF America, would lend themselves very easily to
politician, the millionaire and the trust president.
are Just the full-blooded. highly coored figures re-
SSdfNh RF i Of senG Sppo ai
are hpndreGs OF youns Amereans Th0 are ne
power but who feel exactly the sort OF scorn for
the bosses" that Arstophanes felt for Cleon. and
y6 no yet never pos of They !hs
patrioc and would die for their COUNTRY now "a, a;
instead, Of trying to use their pens TO Improve
e puS: life q hs r y oT Py them Se
style and their thought, by blind devotion to the
said they have real work to do at home.
What magninGen opportunity T. Prf MeTt oy
subject made to the hand OF the modern, Arts;
In which be SorIa not PSsio pyyoH ,e
a difficulty why, not wake. a free and creative
ADAPTATION Of The wasps"? traves'y Of The
but lake iks town by storm and might in the end
awaken the conscience and good sense OF tho voters
s sS Of hs How Wdrd The main hoHsht Of tho
play play could be retained unimpared. ArlstOphanes
dcmoraized by the employment Of popular rights
exercised. not with common-sense and discretion.
the influence of a set Of unworthy domagogues.
HIS son. who knows better. endeayors TO prevent
when he inds there Is no other way sets his "a.
e S but pay Nome nG and on 81 the domsstc stage II
he mu., go and vote. "let him vote. In his own
hall song. In the American version II woua c .,
course. have 70 be the We no, the SON. VINO wou,d
prevent him going TO Tammany Hall or 70 q
'pTmary and making an exhoit 1S OF himsslt
friends and fellow ward politicians come IN at
ra IN Very Rey S %Sus oa
ne stage With their striped skins ard SFisns
spi@ndId buf;csque chorus. In The Greek play the
son argues with the wasps. and points out TO rhen
tie in!quites OF the Athenian Government Think
what points clever American satr!si n,ght iraKs
In iravesty OF the following speech. WHICH we
lake from Buckley Rogcrss spirited translat'on;
Bd.-Thcn listen. my owl NJ. pet rap~ ana
And no, Win pebbles precisely ranged. but roughly
thus on your fingers count
The tribute paid by tho subject States and Just
consider lie T ,.e smog bs compu.. N. many
taxes and one per cents.
~ markets and harbors and sales and rents rents
II You take the total result Of tho !ot twill reach
And next put down lhe Justices pay. and reckon
the sums they receive so, ye ,hsm through Their.
dwell more n ~ ne and as y Wear think you
will and Is all they get
Ph-rhen no, ono 1.-THE q our income goes to fur'
nish forth the justices pay
Bd-No, certainly not, Ph.-And what becomes
OF a.. tho rest Of the revenue pray
those. TO the .abble OF Athens III ever be true.
III always battle away for the MOB" father,
sv sgch .a phr 1S a. SSse caoied you Int
them over Yourselves 10 reign
And then believe me. they soon contrfvs some
iify talents in brihes TO gain. - 49,
Exciting them ou1 Of tine s%S;sc' S'A''' 0'
Hand over, they say the ,rlba ute pay or else
You Joy tho while at the remnants vile tho uot'
tors and tips OF your power 10 sh ,hs rest, tho
30 r SC ann Of f." The popuia:e. saw , 49,. 49,.
On u vote-box pine, and on nothnsness o'he' ana
marked how ianky and lean ye gr TOW and ever
and ever on these bestow .-,,,, an. ,o,.
Rag e cushions ana nan.les and cups and crowns
whit vou from Out Of the broad domain for
Which on the land and the wave you ioe d.
None gives you so much ns a garlic head 10 naVor
the dish when your sprats are boiled
Thn TOO c ths5s aT he tnF woDa M Sokr
acty Whether hey would NJ n him ,h, sr Eoht wa Ss
express no opinion II f. eieaT m Croker a
lacked him almost exactly ms Aristophanes at
tackled Clcon. Cleon. too. may not have been as
es as he wo1 pan'o ' The nps n ra'' Of This
Wasps' would he effective in a transatlantic dress
sdo ms ae a We soud the
York housewife ndngng h her S n hod
caucus at home The hero OF me Greek ssi
might arrange a caucus for nominating the hired
g or might consTnet "a iatobba amen snS family
T sw aE wGsq s to SHs PH the small boy
q third for the beEe0t Oh the llISH Cooh' io"' ~
| N concilate the lodger. and so on, and SO on /,
would. OF course. 1equre minute kn1wisdge de- c
| tai, but It is abundantly clear that the frame
| work OF THE Wasps" could be used TO produc'
mend Therefore, the ,aea Of The Ta y, many
| would only adopt the idea he might secure not
only fame and fortune but do some hing Tar 1r
| themselves free from the tyranny OF TammahS
! Hall. .,..h,o L,rJ
| will revive again In New-York In response 70 TN
Opportunity must depend on so many eond my ~,
| Unknown and unknowable 10 Englishnen tnat W.
| can only venture TO set forth the poss!pihty. y
| would however. be specially appropriate ~ 20
only great poical satire OF modern times u
American. The "Biglow Papers sane aIoH rhe 81
r. bi,.orv OF nineteenth-century literature Inc.
have The universally which IL the marx OF t. ui