Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-02-28
COMMENT And CRITICISM.

That skull bad a tongue in it. and could
sing once; but how the kuave jowls 1t to
the ground, as II IL were Gains jaw-bone,
that did the first murder This might be
the fate OF n politician, which this ass now
DER reaches; one that would crcumvent
God, might it not!-Hamlet. s-4
Mr.. Anthony HOPE can hardly be
classed as writer OF brillianoy, lack
ing as be does certain qualities of ex-
preston that are essential 10 the
making OF literature We usually define
as brilliant; but at times he does not
fall far short OF reaching the goal his
admirers hope he may ultimately attain.
The difficulties that confront writer's of
his position In this age OF CONNER.
cialism through which we are slowly
passing, and which, II we ever succeed
In getting out OF, will leave an indelible
mark upon many Of the best OF our
literary works, obtain In the manifold
temptation that beset the author whose
copy" Is in constant demand by an
exacting and impatient trade. " Mr..
| Hope has suffered less from this bale
| full pressure than some others, but he
does not appear to have made special
effort to avoid IL, trusting rather to
the glow Of his literary talent, which be
undoubtedly possesses In no small de-
| gree, to gloss over the defects Of hasty
construction. In "Quisante,n q novel
OF modern political life in England, he
must be accorded decision in favor
| OF half suocess-if, by adheripg to
the strict letter Of the Law, we cannot
accord him more satisfactory one, for
| 1t Ia book OF distinct merit and evil
| IDENTIFY the result OF keen observation.
1t is bright, racy, entertaining, and
full of the moralities, as we'll as the
foibles, OF everyday life. BY bold ex-
ploitation of selfishness, hypocrisy, and
innate deceit In his leading character
he exposes the kernel Of the primary
causes of political debsuohery, and
while the outcome Is somewhat dis
iointed, and not sufficiently masked in
the environ nent to be the real thing, :"
there is a dramatic successfulness about
it that leaves lasting impression. To
illustrate in literary dress the wording
of pernioious influences in undermining
public integrity requires genius--and
that Mr., Hope is not, though his at.
tempt is interesting Quisaute hum
plugged his wife, his friends, and tue
public, but when be reached the point
OF intellectual failure, and the veil was
being lifted from his morals, Mr.. Hope
resorted to the weak device Of an un
timely death to relieve himself OF, a
descriptive task quite beyond his
capacity. In other words, "Quisante''
is the beginning OF a fine work, but
it would require Dickens or Balsac
to finish it.
One feature Of political life, which
Mr.. Hope brings out very prominently
in his hero, is the utter dependence
Of an unprincipled political leader upon
his friends. Devoid Of the personal
qualities that would enable him to
appeal directly to the public. he must
needs stand behind others who possess
these qualities and who he has deceived
as to his real motives, or who the
public for some reason or other has
confidence in. One has only to think
OF j. Edward Addicks, Matthew s..
Quay and Tom Plat to realize how
true this is. Quisante had q wonderful
faculty for deceiying well.meaning and
influential people, aud by super.
abundance Of subtleness aud cunning
held his own against enormous odds up
to the point when his health failed and
his money gave out. What his career
would have been had MIR. Hope been
equal TO its completion lie problematical.
To be prime minister was his dream,
no doubt, but could he have reached it!
OF Sandro's wife, the most that can
be said is that she IL one of Mr.. Hope g
heroines That is an Illuminating fact
to those who road his novels. IL. A.
Stokes Il c., New York. From E S.
K. Butler q Scn.)
Mr.. John Kendrick Bangs he oil
1.-THE Household on the Styx" notoriety
has reached a conclusion from which
! he claims to derive positive comfort. -
! Ordinarily would be inclined to con.
j graduate Mr.. Bangs upon deriving sc
much satisfaction out of mere con.
olusion, for like our literary &C
quaintances to be stimulated occa
sionally with a little of the sense o
3 well being, in order that they writt
more agreeably--in the present instance,
] more humorously; but this particular
: conclusion with which Mr. Bang
Q favors us, on whole page Of Harper's
K Weekly, is so tinctursd with artifi
t cialitv, and SO blurred ove- with tn,
y wish is father to the thought idea, tina
Q | Am not disposed to felicitate him
but rather to condole with him ove
b his lack Of frankness ard his igno
minious retreat behind the mask o
: sophistry. We oil know that Mari
q Twain is not only a natural borl
! humorist and man Of unusual ability
: but past master in satire and irony
He stands head and shoulders aboy
any OF his contemporaries in originate
;, OF thought and action, and mons surpas
= him in clearness Of mental vision, no
N :, in the forcefulness of his ininitabl
10 logic, Notwithstanding the opinion o
n Prof. Harry Thurston Peck. Recent
i; he has used his characteristic abilitie
N to hold up to public scorn the hypocrisy
N the deceit, and the viciousness Of til
II Mckinley administration, and thereb
u hangs a-Bangs. In his North Amer
Sc can Review article Mr.. Clemens eoe
over the Cuban. philippine Chimes
scheme OF Imperalistic expansion wit
= his accustomed freedom of thought an
analysis, and places his uuerring finge
upon every weak point with an cas-
| that Is positively humorous in its az
4 curacy. This is what has stirred u
Mr.. Bangs and caused him to arrive q
a conclusion. He IL horror stricken
| that man of Mr.. Clemens wisdol
and worldly experience Is unable [
stomach the game of land .grabbin
and human slaughter now being carrie
| on by the great aud good Mckinley
1 the name Dwell, the Hanna "Synd
| cate" and benevolent assimilation,
u ! Ila 4..1I a -. "a n