Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-01-15
IN
MODERN
HUMOR

The popular variety Of modern scorn,
4, rritipg called humorous, is the Flip
pant. And fippancy may be defined as
the attitude which assumes that moth
inc in heaven or earth matters very
much and that any one is a simpleton
who thinks &c does. That man had
never kindly heart, nor never sought TO
hotter bis own kind. who FIRST wrote
satire with no pity in t." So wrote
Lord Tennyson; but the "satire with
no pity in &C." II prompted by a genu'
inc aversion. is a more respectable
thing than the satire which has no
core Of reality in it at all, but is mere
badinage. or chat, made out # the
one simple prescription-a contempt for
what once upor a time was considered
rather worthy Of respect than other.
wise. Take some serious interest Of
human nature and suddenly and unex.
poeteylly treat it as II it were not ser.
ious-that is the key 90 much Of the
popular humor Of the day. The Ameri.
can drolls have used it largely. You
know TO whom I refer, and will not
suppose me forgetful Of such true hu.
morists. scholars and poets as J. r.
Lowell and oliver wandcll Holmes
And these American drolls (not the
American humorisis) have largely IN.
auoncsd The wags who provide us over
here with a corresponding entertain.
ment The name Of "topsy.turvcy
dom" has been coined for one Of the
most familiar of these forms This. Of
course. is mere droiicfy. a clever feat
of intellectual poster making, and l.
absolutely devoid Of any charm 20 be
called humor For iis essence IL con.
tempt. ils method is cynical, its quail |
iy is ihhumaH And by far tho most
IgHoblo Mind of rynicism is the cyni. |
s.sm. not of conviction, but Of having
no conviction, che cynicism of car
ing nothing for anybody. II only a
laugh can be- got Que of Il.
We 1.-Two in sn ago which IL a strange
mixture of oycrfastidiousucs and un.
doffasiiiioushess and it is surely a
sunIeieHt Illustration Of h that many
who dni they have ouigrown tho DO.
NOR Of Dickens and rhacksray yti
seem 90 end unqualified delight ~
Marx Twain or Mr. Gilbert Savoy sr.
tnyagansas The aumor whlsh
is most popular Ia England just uow is
built. not upon sentiment, but upon
eyHisism, J have kept tho word "son.
iimrni 20 out of my lecture thus far Do.
cause it 10 So llnisult % use ln a sense
that viii command respect To
most persons sentiment" means little
more than "seniimentaliiy''i but the
"ae thing .s as dlst'net from che other
as WAS che eloqusute of John Bflght
from Che rhetoric ~ che average popu.
Jar preacher And n it was 'ssympa.
lhH' ihai gave John Rright's slo.
ga5nta 'is real power So that b Is sym.
n'aT Chat makes lumof either strong
"f enduring AHI in this vmpatbv
Which 'HsHie7 reverence. I fear n
must Do justly ail thar mo popel.r
humor of today Is waBtlue-sBl I'm
wanting 30 f'rfeits al just claim 10
That title And further venture 10
hink. that iu So far as the methods
't che great hum1ri,is gone before us
'Fe out of favor with us ana seem "a
'a poor and tame in comparison with
'lF own, % Is not because we have
'a'sroEn them. hut because we have
generated from them. Itisrot thew
".' are not go'l enough for us. hut We
p" "a' aFs n1. good enough for chem nj
Know that there are those who. willie
'ley snesr at Dickens set rrof,.s "A
Fe'a'' unbauuleA appreciation ~
9aaAespeafe or s,eTue or Goldvmith
hat / doubt iu many eases N susb ,,i.
''e.sm Is quite sincere staks.rs,,s
.' on our shelves aul on our stages. bpt
'' not see hi~ Ileh taken down
from tle shef ar repaired 10 on ma
stage save when he Is Furnished ort
"''a 'ansfarmsti1n scenes. W.
pre- hyposr.t.eal often even in or,
'"'s'"eaiH-Po,auuars E,.ays ~
Canon Alfred Augsr
Taken 90 the Reform s,b,,l