Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-09-24
GORKY ON AMERICANS.
What the Russian Thinks of New
World Morality.

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 ne
is intensely in earnest.
! "At best, a moralist to me is a
man at whom I wink from the corner
of my eye" he says, land drawing him
aside, whisper in his ear:
All, you rascal! 1t isn't that 1
am skeptic, but I know the world,
| know it to my SORROW
Morality seems to me like a secret
vessel tightly covered with heavy
lid of bias and prejudice. I 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 it's purity, who do not in
spire my confidence although they
arouse my envy by their flowery ap-
/ pearance. They are such SNUG, round,
lardy creatures, so we'll 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 high-priced automobile.
81 wish it to be understood that in
thus speaking of moralists do not
mean those who think, but only those
who judge. Emerson was moralist,
but cannot imagine a 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.
"T 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
/ itv. and, therefore, leave them alone
/ But a word about the practical side.
| America brides itself on its morals,
and occasionally constitutes itself rs
/ judge, evidently preTuming that it
has worked out in its social relations
a system of conduct worthy of imita-
ton. l believe this mistake.
''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 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 a 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 It's points
IT must vet mention the fact that In
America they steal money very ire
ouentIy and lots of 1t. This OF
course Is but natural Where there |
IL q GREAT deal Of money there are
graa+ MANY thieves. To imagine a |
thief without money is as dif1cult as
to imagine an honest man with money. |
R11t that again is phenomenon COM
mon tn all countries. More and more
;ntarest in matters of the mind AMI
the spirit in science and art-this IS
what I wish the Americans with all
nv heart And this too, wish them,
the DEVELOPMENT Of scorn for money.
"After all that I have said am IN
voluntarily drawn to make parallel
between. Europe and America. On
mot side Of the ocean there is much
beautv. much liberty Of the spirit and
a hold. vehement activity OF the mind
Tbaro art always shines like the skv
at night with the living sparkle Oh
the imperishable stars. On this SIDE
there IS no beauty The rude vigor OF
POLITICAL and social youth is fettered