The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-01
ELBERr HUBBARD,s SUCCESS.

the wisdom and expediency of certain
measure of hypocrisy. Mr.. Hubbard
makes much of the right to free express
sion of ones real opinions and his scorn
of insincerity and pretense is unbound
ed, but he is not himself entirely free
from a suspicion of disingenuousness
and even his most enthusiastic admir-
ers admit that he is something of
charIatan.
Among other things which Mr.. Hub
bard has learned in the fullness of ex-
perience in many roles is the power and
influence of the weaker sex" especially
in America and particularly in relation
to the material success of an artistic
career. All authors and publishers I'M
derstand that it is impossible for book
to be a good seller" if it doesn't please
women readers. Many writers complain
bitterly of the critical supremacy of the
ieune file and declare that authors
must write according to her tastes and
standards or starve. That this is far
from absolutely true the success Of
great number of philosophical and
scientific authors whose works do not
appeal to the great body of women at
all and who have comparatively few
feminine readers attest. But many mod
ern novelists and authors of the So
called New Thought philosophy owe
their prosperity to women and the best
literary get-rieh-quick schemes are un-
deniably those that appeal to the
eternal feminine 1t is the women
who buy books in this country, al
though it may be the men who pay for
them, for only women, among us. have
leisure for literature.
In view Of this it is not hard to find
an explanation for Mr.. Hubbard's sue
cess for he is an adroit and persistent
f1atterer of the Unquiet Sex, and as a
result women are greatly in the ma
jority in his Academy of American I'M
mortals. AS hot air. specialist Mr..
Hubbard has few equals and although
he understands the delicate art of liter
airy decortication and his talent could
be used to brilliant advantage in a
satirical exposition of feminine fads and
foibles his criticisms of the sex are al
ways in the nature of sly digs. sugar
coated for the gentle reader" Mr..
Hubbard is a master of that subtle
1attery which seems to take the reader
into complete confidence and make him
party to all the authors purposes.
Look" he seems to say, I'VE under
stand each other, we two. We are of
Tic I14NCN- Int OAAACIS dlG lllC OISal
Unwashed. Let US stick out our tongues
at them" When he says anything in
disparagement of women it is in such
a manner that every woman who reads
it thinks he means some other woman.
Or he reveals his real sentiments in the
words of a holder critic of the sex, seek
ing safety behind the useful quotations
marks. The Discerning realize what he
really thinks about women. but the dear
creatures themselves deHghting in him
because he wears his hair long, quotes
poetry and is so roycroftie would scorn
to believe that his admiration of them
is not as genuine as it appears.
Ebert Hubbard is one of the cleverest
writer's of his time If he is not much
more than that. Many good judges have
pronounced him a genius but owing to
the difficulty of defining genius and the
general indisposition to allow a man
this attribute Until after he is dead
others who are no less sincere in their
admiration of him and their enjoyment
of his brilliant and original talent
hesitate to go so far as that. However
that may be it is safe to say that Ell
bert Hubbard is far too clever to be-
lieve all that he writes in obsequious
praise of womanhood. His own domes-
tic experiences have been enough TO
make him skepticaI of the hypothesis of
feminine perfection.
Mr.. Hubbard knows, and occasionally
practically admits. that the relation
which woman bears to man in this lat
ter day period of much-Vaunted equal
ity is not so vastly different from what
it was in earlier times. but he wheedles
the Advanced Woman with pretended
respect for her ambitions and the Ad-
vanced Woman is not too advanced to
be susceptible to the high compliment
of election (for a consideration to Roy
croft Immortality and life membership
in the East Aurora Philistia.
In a recent Heart to Heart Talk with
Philistines the Pastor of His Flock first
vented a good many opinions which
savored strongly of the ancient special
prerogatives-foT-t he-Tyrant-Man theory
in a discussion and defense of poIygamy
and then apoIogized and sought to right
himself with the women. "Polygamy,"
he said, "does not debase nor prostitute
woman. 1t simply prevents her evolu-
ton. In polygamy there can be no
equality''-and here is where the strong
minded Rebellious Susans begin to
soften toward the Fra-"woman is for
ever an underling. In intellect she can
never rise to mans estate and walk
with him hand in hand. Man is her
master-therin.' and We can readily inn
agine him winking the other eye as ne
wrote titles the curse to BOTH
This in spite of the fact that in the
same article he sought to prove that po-
lygamy Joined with thrift, energy and
the natural resources of Utah has made
the Mormons rich and powerful and
contributed toward the production of
people of superior health. intelligence
and morals. But knowing that the high
browed sisterhood who read the Philis-
tine wouldn't like this view he makes
up for it by the implication that al