New-York tribune., 1901-07-07
"OVER-PRAISE HURTS"
A LATE POPULAR AUTHOR AND SOME
OTHERS.
To The Editor OF The Tribune.

prove the Judgment OF THE Academy on one OF
the Besant and Rice novels and then showed. in
the next paragraph, not only that he had never
read the novel himself but also that he in
a state of such dense and imbecie ignorance
about it as to be capable of MISLEADING a reprint
OF one OF the most striking passages in the book
for recent after dinner speech about the book
has been thoroughly enjoyed by multitudes OF
your readers. The time has for a great
deal more Of such castigation than you have
ever yet taken the trouble to administer. Many
editors and publishers not only acting now
adays on the old theory that 1.-The public is an
ass but are even assuming that people. who
have intelligence enough to want to read about
books, are still ignorant enough not to know the
difference between intelligent criticism and a
maundering outpour OF sIush and slumgullion.
Half the editors and publishers seem to be
infected and obsessed. There is constantly in
some quarters a copous flow of sticky and ILL
odored treace besmearing with it's indiscrimi-
nate syrup everything that publisher is will
ing to put his imprint on, and possibly be
expected to advertise. Meanwhile. nothing is
needed to convince the editors and Critics and
purveyors of literary small talk for the ladies
clubs" that any particular author has actually
passed into the Walhala and is securely seated
among the immortals. except a recollection OF
a sufficient number of these notices" and 'criti-
cisms." procured by exacting publishers from
compliant newspapers in the past II was with
reference to the same kind of gush, in
another field that the late Alexander w. King
lake said: II conceive that in these latter times
the scale upon which measure men and
things has been brought down too low by the
custom of awarding wild. violent praise to the
common performance of duty. and even now and
then to actual misfeasance. Not only is the
utterance of praise a lazy and futile
method of attempting to do justice TO worthy
deeds. but it often intercepts the honest growth
Of a mans renown." This tudicious remark of
a really brilliant historical writer has been re-
called to reading the recent Associated
Press reports. mot TO mention the extravagant
editorial eulogies) about we'll known Ameri-
historical writer and lecturer. who has
lately passed away. The instinct to say nothing
unkind of the recent dead ought not to be per-
verted into making him ridiculous by cruel
excess OF kindness and above all. the Asso-
ciated Press whose business il is to furnish us
facts but not opinions or literary criticisms,
ought not. in mentioning the death, 10 describe
the late Professor John Fiske "the famous
lecturer and historian. and the last OF that re-
markable group of literary men. which included
Emerson. Lowell. Longfellow and Holmes.
Fame is lofty word; and historian is high
title to apply to a popular lecturer. who has
condensed these lectures and rewritten in popu-
DDS in our history: while CHASING him with
Emerson. Lowell. Longfellow and Holmes is a
literary feat really beyond the powers OF any
intelligent human being. save a purveyor of
personal notes about literary men," who might
perhaps have been led to IT by the obvious fact
that they all had the same enterprising pub
fishers.
Quite in the same vein the mana gers of the
country lyceum used to introduce DR.. Stoddard
TO advertise Mr. John S. C. Abbott-good men
both. and highly popular writers who should
not have been disparaged and hindered in the
honest growth of their reputation by what Mr..
Kingake describes over-praise.
Even The Tribune. which is generally on
literary topics. q can't always say the same
about II elsewhere) takes it's cue from The
Associated Press. il not from the publishers
advertisements. and begins its obituary by de-
scribng Mr.. Fiske as the eminent historian"
1t gives a far better measure of the man. how
ever in his intellectual well physical
habits in its quotation from his own account of
himself which he once took the pains to write
out.
the thimnest clothes l can hnd. winter and sum
not severely and prefer to work in a cold room
65 to 90 degrees Work the larger part of each
twenty-four hours. and by day or night indif-
ferently Scarcely ever change a word once writ
ten, eat when hungry. rarely taste coffee or wine
smoke cigar but drink two three quarts of
beer each day and smoke a pipe all the time when
at work
Imagine Motley Parkman. who trere "emi-
American historians saying scarcely
change a word once written" That is an
occasional trait Of the newspaper man." who
with his feet in hot water. and a towel wrapped
around his head. can write or dictate page OF
his paper at sitting; but 1t Is not the habit
OF the masters. who justly described as
eminent; of anybody who knows the differ
ence between literature and copy" 1t needs
intimate acquaintance. however. with the
works of the gentleman in queston-good as
they are in many ways. if not made ridiculous
by over-praise-to see that IL his habit /
take for illustration the first volume by him
which happens to lie at hand The Critical
Period of American History" New-York he
says ranked commercially and militarily as
the centre of the Union" In this connection"
he says, it is worth while TO observe something.
and page later he is reminded I'm this con-
pages earlier. in speaking of the time when. as
he said population could serve roughly as an
index TO wealth, 'the eminent historian re-
marks that 1T was much easier to count noses
than to assess the value of farms and stock"
When telling of the Spanish wrath on dis
covering a secret article in treaty be-
tween Great Britain and the United States
the muse of history thus describes the ef-
fect in words which when once written were
scarcely ever changed: "Castian grandees
went to bed and dreamed of invincible ar
madas- The same muse of history described
the excitement following an attempt by North
Carolina to withdraw her cession of the terri
tory OF tennessee in the undying words. so