The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-25
TIE TIMES, WASHINGTON, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 25 1900

prised but instructed. though the in
struction may not be of a kind they will
like. Particular cleverness is shown by
the fact that none OF the stories appears
to be actually drawn from real life. Mr.
Flynt has not turned states evidence. His
characters are types. not portraits, and
none the less true to life for that. The
scrapes they are in are typical, and so
are their ways Of getting out. 1t may be
mentioned incidentally that neither the
scrapes nor the solutions are always
credltable TO the police and detective sys-
TEN OF our dear country. The person
VINO reads this book thoughtfuily will
reaiize, II he never did before, that to
mix politics with municipal government
is rather unwise. He will also see that
while 1t is easy to say reform politics,
IL is not so easy to carry out that sug-
gestion.
Mt. flynt is not a criminologist, in the
ordinary sense of the word, nor has he
much respect for the cult of Lombroso,
considering the fact that his knowledge
OF Inc subject is considerably more init
mate and thorough than that of any eX-
perlmental phrenologist, he is certainly
entitled to contempt for the latter IL he
chooses to show it. His introduction is
a masterpiece of terseness and force.
rms is part of it.
Criminoogists have thought it more impor-
tant to photograph the outcast's facial angle
tEln to see the outcast and his world as he him
sell sees them. Having determined from the start
tiat me outcast is an inferior, they have looked
Tor stgn'ata of degeneration in him and have
FOUND what they looked for; they would have
found stiemata OF degeneration in any other
body OF men whom they had examined with
ilke pertinacity and part pris: they have found
mem indeed In Practically all the men Of light
ana leading known in history. Men of science and
romanticsn have used the outcast as a point
OF departure for the csthetc ina gination and have
taken II Tor granted that he is not SO interesting
as they can fancy him. They have constructed
Tor themselves two stock characters-a simpi-
ned human brute, an epitome OF the stgmata
oil degeneration, half-wited. cunning, sullen. fu-
nous, and an abstract mathematical detective
VINO sees the human world as a magnifed chess
board and solves problems in check and check
mate.
II may with great safety be said that both
these stock characters belong to the realm OF
intellectual opera boufe People in the under
world differ more in their circumstances than in
iheir psychology from people in the upper. In
oo'h worlds there is majority disposed rather
10 pear Inc Ills they have than to fly to others
that they know not of; and in both there is
a minority to whom the ordinary lot of their
class is simply intolerabe. In the upper world
TINS minority become the entrepreneurs in the
business, social, and political spheres-the peo-
pie who have the natural leadership, the
dacity, and pluck TO assume great risks in the
wish ior great returns. In the under world the
minority become the gambler, the thief and the
harlot. In both worlds the minority want honor
and power in their own world, and in both they
OBTAIN their success by a combination of enter
prise, intelligence, unscrupuiousness, diligence,
and sheer, rude power of will. The unscrupIi-
iousness in the upper world may consist only in
bold stand against public opinion to gain an
advantage, or in the violation in case of need
OF the conventions of class; but ii must be
meinbered that the under world has its conven-
a
Of blackmail is regarded in the side streets
with the mixture of Indignation and admiring
approval with which ruthless manipulation of
Stocks or particularly audacious political coup
Is regarded in Society," II Huxley is right in
his contention that there is a fixed order of
things which sends social disorganizltion upon the
track OF immortality surely as it sends physical
disease after physical trespssses," then correct
understanding Of the under world and its rela-
ton TO the whole body Of society is 4 matter
of prime Importance.
When it is remembered that the man who
writes thus clearly and forcefully has
gained his peculiar knowledge by riding on
trucks under trains. mixing with ex-con-
vcts, desperadoes. dive-keepers, and men
of all degrees of cunning and nerve who,
if they had suspected his real object. might
have been his bitter enemies it becomes
evident that his wisdom on the subject of
the criminal amounts to something.
Aside from their sociological value, the
tales are clever and fascinating in them
selves. 1t may be that Mr.. Fiynt is re-
sponsibie for the brightness. the humor.
and the wit, and 1t may be that Mr. Wal
ton Isl but whichever of the colla5orateurs
had most to do with The stories. they are
good. Some of them are humorous and some |
are tragic; the humor is apt to be little
cynical, and the tragedy is likely to be |
mixed with grotesque sort OF humor. "In |
the Matter of His Nibs" is a satirical little |
sketch which will make some outwardly |
respectable gentlemen feel little uncom- !
Portable. "A Bill from Tiffany's" is an |
ugly tragedy, with. strange TO say. a |
burglar for the hero and a detective for |
the villain. Found Guilty is another of |
the same sort, and SO is THE Prison |
Demon" 'Peggie Niven" deals with the |
career Of one of those women whom their |
more virtuoas or more fortunate sisters re-
gard with kind OF fascinated horror "a
Dead One" is pathetic bit OF criminal
history, which has the effect of giving one
great respect for the professional forger
burglar. and all-around criminal who is the
hero. "0n Sentence Day is one of the |
Unique stories of American literature. But
Il is of no use to try to describe these
ales; they have to be read. The authors
,annot give us too many Of the same sort.
New York: Mcclure, Phillips G. Coz