The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-24
CLOSING WORDS ABOUT FOE.

The New York Sun, always cumulative. vigorously resents the idea that this country should have waited for other nations to properly estimate Poe be- fore ourselves giving him the high place he deserves. And that is really what has been done. Competent and unprejudiced critics of foreign nations long since gave this poet permanent and unassailable place in the front rank of modern writers, and our own people--some of them reluctantly followed the example of outsiders. This Is not satisfactory to The Sun, which says:
 The centenary of Poe finds him a world figure in literature. In do not forget that the rightful degree of any authors merit Is settled at the last by his own countrymen. Amerl- can worship of Baudelaire doesn't determine Baudeiaire's place in French literature. Much too much has been prattled of Baudelaire and others supposed to have brought Americans to a tardy and repentant knowledge Of Poe. American criticism and under otdHuiuk -oA hfk HAtiCftt dutHVI hit1N prevail.
 The Sun is correct. The American reading public. the American lovers of real genius. should have long since given to Poe the eminence he de- serves, and not have awaited the judgment and dictum of judges in other lands, but as we are told that "a prophet is not without honor. save in his own country" or words to that effect. we suppose we ought not to be surprised that foreigners took the lead in praise of Poe's genius and | literary work. | But we will copy some encomiums that we think worth reproducing. "If," says The New Bedford Standard. .some of Poe's admirers are accus- toned to deal in not too we'll consid- cred adulation, 1t is yet true that the sober judgment of time has decided to rank him with the great writers of the English tongue. Few have been his equals in the art of rythmic cadence, and in making music out of words and phrases. And few have combined the fantastic and the hor- rible so vividly as he has combined them in a. few of his marvellous tales. But he is read with admiration and amazement rather than with admira- tion and affection. There are hun dred writers. both of prose and verse, who could never match his extraor- dinary gift of bizarre imagination and who could never rival his wonderful command of language. who hold in the hearts of the people a love which he never could gain. Nevertheless, no more dazzling genius has ever ap- peared in the Armament of American literature"
 It may be true that some of Poe's admirers have in late years been over lavish in their expressions of admira- tion of his merits, but perhaps this is the natural result of the rebound from the lack of appreciation that was shown him in his own country while he was living, and for a num- Der of years after. Having failed to properly appreciate him when he need ed 1t, they are making up for former apathy by what may in some cases be over-enthusiasm.
 The Kansas City Journal deals with both the literary and pathetic side of Poe when it says that mo other American poet or teller of tales was more worthy the patrimony from the past decade or two there has been a steady impetus to the Poe revival and to his memory have been paid the multiplied honors so cruelty with held during his lifetime His auto graph sold in New York the other day for $2O5, sum that might have saved the life of the poets poor child-wife, who died practically of starvation in the little cottage, at Fordham, with an old military coat thrown over her and cat upon her breast to keep her warm during the last few days of her life. The saving of the life of Vir- ginia Clemm Poe might have saved the poet to America and the world, to wipe away every stain upon his name and possibly to disarm some of the fanatical bitterness which even to this day dogs his memory"
 ! Is not that a pathetic, sorrowful picture. And is it not at the same time a serious indictment of the times and of the people among whom he lived, worked and suffered? Just to think what a small portion of the money expended in honoring Poe's memory would have brought health and life to that pitiful child-wife who was actually suffering from cold and hunger while her husband was trying to earn pittance to keep life in her body. Truly all the pathos of. the Poe era has not been written.
 - SERTNG NEVRACTES