The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1903-12-09
A BARBAROUS CIFILIZA
TION.

IION.
The Sunny South in recent is
sue reprints from the Papyrus I'M
der the title: "The Passing Literary
Show" tribute to w. c. Brann
which deserves republishing in
every honestly edited paper and
preserving in the scrap books OF all
lovers of truth and justice. The ar
ticle is as follows:
A few years ago there was pub
lished little magazine at Waco,
rex.,-a place until then unheard
of-which quickly reached a circu-
Iation of more than a hundred thou
sand. his is, of course, nothing in
comparison with the enormous fol-
lowing of Mr.. Bok's family oracle,
but the point | wish to make is that
Brann's paper was read everywhere
by people of opinions, while it was
carefully eschewed by the race OF
tabbies in general. 1t challenged
the fercest antagonist, dragging
Prejudice and Bigotry from their
ancient lair; and it kept its brave
flag flying until savage foes struck
down the undaunted standard bear
err
am urged to make this note on
poor Brann because in looking over
a volume of his collected articles
lately, | got a new sense OF the
mans individuality and power.
Brann was a true product OF the
western soil, bitten no doubt with
the madness of John Brown, the
fatalism of Lincoln; but when the
worst is said of him, [ believe he
was hero, according to the part
he was called upon to play. Ihese
literary remains, SO badly edited
and printed, still glow with the
lava fires of his righteous indigna-
ton. Elk pede Herculem. From the
ashes of his spirit judge what that
spirit was during its too brief earth
ly transit.
am also beholden to the men,
DRY of Brann because, though he
rose from journalism to something
very like literature and certainly to
the sources of power, yet he did not
write in puerile imitation OF any OF
the accepted English models. His
style was truly himself.
The smugs have forced their US
ual conspiracy of silence against
the memory of Brann, but it is we'll
you should know that he was the
most brilliant and daring guerrilla
publicist of our time-fantastical ,
Iexaggerative, even grotesque, If you
please, but not the less writer OF
genuine potency who had woven OF
his literary style a whip of scor-
pions. Brann indeed had power in
excess. The weapons of his invec-
tive and scorn have not been match
ed in our day. AS an antidote to
this pen that dripped poison, to
these gifts of vitriolic scorn and
hearted hate, the enemies of Brann
could propose only the pistol OF the
assassin-and so they filled the
prophet with lead. 1t is thus, alas!
that Texas disposes of literary
style. But, dying, 'Brann wrought a
good work, sending swift death tc
the heart of the lurking murderer.
Poor Brann fell a victim to a
barbarous civilization, and it may
be also, in part, to bis own methods
of attack, for there was no silker
dalliance in his flagellation of sham
and fraud, of crime and rascality
What We surely know is that he
was an honest man, with hearI
ahame against every species Of
wrong and injustice; that he was g
prophet of God, too, and sealed his
mission with his blood; and that he
died in the sacred cause of truth
r,b;oh hoe NOT IN o,1r dow rcOOirod