The record-union., 1899-05-25
"THE MAN WITH THE HOE"

steal his idea of his verse The Man
With the Hoe from Miss Chase, or did
Miss Chase crib the thing from Mark
hams suggestions years ago when the
two used to mediate upon Millets pic
ture in Markham's home? 1t makes
comparatively little difference from one
point of view who suggested Markham $
lines. 1t is enough to know that they
constitute a harsh, morbid and exagger-
ated view of life and conditions. He
himself tells us it is an arraignment
of the terrible crime of civilization, Of
the awful offense of society. This Is
rank nonsense
Civilization has nothing with which to
reproach itself because of the Man
With the Hoe The immediate condi-
tion in which the peasant of the field
, found himself may have been, indeed,
lovely or hopeful, but from which the
world is growing away rapidly as free
dom expands her bounds and men grow
more and more Independent and mon
men are becoming hourly freer of slav-
ish pursuits; they are being emanci-
pated daily from the drudgery of wrest-
ing creature comforts from the soil
in the glow of which they view possi-
bilities of their lives as they are borne
onward to higher levels by science, art,
discovery and mechanical advances.
Despite the Markhams and other NOR
bid semi -anarchistic, fault finding and
pessirnistic weepers Of the age, the
world advances, men grow into better
conditions and broader opportunities
open before them.
The fact Is that the discomfort we
have is the immediate product of ad-
vancement, progress and uplifting. As
standards are raised and the open way
to their attainment is broadened and
made more and more accessible the ef-
fort to rise becomes more intense, and,
doubtless. some suffer by the way who
should not THE Man With the Hoe"
however, may not have been the bru-
tally, slavish and unhappy being the
lugubrious versifier would have us be-
lieve. 1t is possible that there was
more of content of heart beneath the
Jacket of the toiler of the soil than
either Millet or Markham have dream
ed of Indeed, it is by no means GER
tain that Millet is interpreted Alright in
this matter.
But untrue and dangerous as are the
teachings of such monographs, hope
less and threatening in their prophesy-
ing. and not justified by the history of
civilization, nor by social conditions as
they are, it remains that Miss Chase
was the author of a poem; that it has
a wiser, softer and more humane tone
than the later edition Of her meter by
Markham. There is more of humanity
and less of cursing in her work; she
pitied the object of her theme without
venting hatred of mankind at the same
time. Despite its deceptive philosophy
it is an ocean Of gentleness and love,
when compared with the turgid, black
and stormy sea of Markhams hope
less, heartless measure.
For though it is claimed for it that
1t is the expression Of a heart full of
pity and overfiowing with SURPRISING
tenderness, and that the reproach of
the lines most emphasizes the human
Kindness of which it is born, it re-
mains that it is monograph intended
to stir, passion, to indame prejudice and
enkindfe hatred that no social revolu-
tions can allay. 1t breaches the i'm
possible. rather than the hopeful and
heartful, which distinguish Miss
Chase's poem, that by the way, is
quite as graceful and profound as
Markham's, though it is frankly con-
ceded that the vigor and eloquent VEN
Nom Of the latter give it a tigerish and
vicious brilliancy and a sweeping, ma
jestic movement which excite admira-
ton for the art and talent of the au-
thor.
But, as literary question, did he
crib the poem? Certainly he knew Miss
Chases was published first Certainly
he knew that his later work moved in
similar direction upon the same met
ricad vehicle. He knew that to him
belonged the office of giving her credit
ffor first treating the theme in that way,
but he waited for others to do her
justice. Or, viewed from another
standpoint. he failed to challenge her
originality, and after he had as he
says. given years of thought to the sub
ject he permitted his work to go out
without the single line of suggestion
which would have saved the situation
for him, calling attention to Miss
Chases earlier lines.
But it is a moot question whether
the condolences involved amounts to
enough to- justify charge of plagiarism.
We incline. to the belief, however, that
While the. movement is the same the
thoughts of the two works move suffi-
ciently apart to- make a clear distinc-
tion that dissents from the idea that
Markham stole his poem from that of
$ Miss Chase. Yet, when this is said it
remains that while the two writers
moved apart in treatment, the method,
the style, the suggestion of the theme,
came from one source-the earlier au-
thor.
The honors shown Admiral Dewey at
Hongkong by the representatives of the