Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-09-20
GoRkY ON AMERICANS.
What the Russian Thinks of New
World Morality,

AMY
Maxim Gorky, whose mission to
this country was suddenly frustrated
by his encounter with American stand.
ards of morality, has at last broken
silence with reply in Appleton's
Magazine.
In the midst of his bitter denuncia.
ton of Americas faults, there occurs
an interlude of caustic humor in
which he refers ironically to that
sense OF morality" which Americans
evoked against him as exemplified in
his own grandfather. Otherwise he
is intensely in earnest
AT best, moralist to me is a
man at whom l wink from the corner
OF my eye," he says, "and drawing him
aside, whisper in his ear:
All, you rascal! 1t isn't that |
am a skeptic, but l know the world, |
know it to my sorrow
Morality seems to me like secret
vessel tightly covered with heavy
lid of bias and prejudice. l think
that in that vessel are concealed the
best recipes for a pure and ethical
life, the shortest and surest road to
eternal happiness. But beside that
vessel people always stand as guar
dams of its purity, who do not in.
spire my confidence although they
arouse my envy by their f1owery ap.
pearance. They are such SNUG, round.
lardy creatures, so well satisfied with
themselves, and standing so firmly on
their feet, like veritable mileposts
pointing the way to the salvation of
the soul. However, there is nothing
wooden about them except their
hearts. They are as elastic as the
springs in sumptuous equipage, as
the tires OF. a high-priced automobile.
II wish it to be understood that in
thus speaking of moralists do not
mean those who think, but only those
who judge. Emerson was a moralist,
but I cannot imagine man who, hav.
ing read Emerson, will not have his
mind cleared of the dust and dirt of
worldly prejudices. Carlyle, Ruskin,
Pascal-their names are many, and
the books of each of these work upon
the heart like a good brush. But
there are people who, being born
scoundrels, act as if they were the
worlds attorneys.
Man is by nature curious. I have
more than once lifted the lid of the
moral vessel and every time there is
sued from it such rank, sitting
smell of lies and hypocrisy, cowardice
and wickedness as was quite beyond
the power of my nostrils to endure.
81 am willing to think that the
Americans are the best moralists in
the world. I admit that nowhere else
in the world are there to be found
such stern priests of ethics and moral
ity, and, therefore, | leave them alone.
But word about the practical side.
America prides itself on it's morals,
and occasionally constitutes itself rs
judge, evidently presuming that 1t
has worked out in it's social relations
a system Of conduct worthy of imita-
ton. | believe this mistake.
1.-THE Americans run the risk of
making themselves ridiculous if they
begin to pride themselves on their so.
ciety. There is nothing whatever orig
inal about it; the depravity of the
higher classes Of society is a COM
mon thing in Europe. If the Ameri-
cans permit the development of a
higher society in their country, there
is nothing remarkable in the fact that
depravity also grows apace. And that
no week passes without some loud
scandal in this high society is no
cause for pride in the originality of
American morals. You can find all
these things in Europe also. There is
perhaps less hypocrisy in these mat
tiers on the other side of the Atlantic,
but the depravity exists all the same.
and to scarcely less degree. These
are the common morals of the repre-
sentatives of the high society," cos
mopolitan race, which, with the same
zeal, defiles the earth at all its points
I must yet mention the fact that in
America they steal money very fire.
quently and lots of it. This. of
course, is but natural. Where there
is a great deal of money there are a
great many thieves. To imagine a
thief without money is as difficult as
70 imagine an honest man with money.
But that again is phenomenon COM
mon to all countries. More and more
interest in matters of the mind and
the spirit, in science and art-this is
what | wish the Americans with all
my heart. And this, too. wish them,
the development of scorn for money
after all that I have said I am in
voluntarily drawn to make a parallel
between Europe and America. On
that side of the ocean there is much
beauty. much liberty OF the spirit and
a bold, vehement activity of the mind.
There art always shines like the sky
at night with the living sparkle Of
the imperishable stars On this side
there is no beauty. The rude yigor ri