The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-13

The easiest thing in the world is to start an argument. If you don't believe it, just invite "an Irishman. on St. with an A P A." and it's safe bet that you will get more argument than you can hold, or rather, than you can turn loose. Another easy thing Is to defame or de- stroy; it matters not whether that you destroy be reputation, character, fame or material things. It takes brains, skill and energy to build mansion; a fool and a match can destroy 1t.
 Great controversies arise from time to time. often based in trivial subjects, that attract more or less attention, but when sifted down, rarely prove worth the candle"
 A few months ago question was pro- pounded that went the rounds of the press, attracting much attention and puzzling the learned and unlearned alike. This great momentous question was, How old is Ann?" That anyone should try to fathom so uncertain a proposition as a woman's age seems unwise, yet the mysterious age of this mysterious person wrinkled the brow of the savant and baffled the research of the pedagogue. The question remained unsolved, how ever, and finally sank into "innocuous desuetude." A question of equally great and grave importance that springs up from time to time is the Baconian con troversy, in which 1t is sought to estab- fish the fact that Lord Bacon wrote the plays and other works so long ascribed to William Shakespeare. Just as much as the final solution of Ann's age would benefit the mathematician and mathe- matical science, just so much in propor- tion would the settlement of the Baconian controversy be of benefit to the literati and the world of letters.
 The Baconians contend they have an argument. Sure they have. So had the man who killed his father and mother and then asked the mercy of the court on the grounds that he was an orphan So has the infidel, the agnostic, the free silverite, and even the republican politician. Argu- ments, why the woods are full of them.
 It is generally a safe proposition to pitch into man who is dead, and one who has been dead nearly 300 years is pretty much of corpse, but then every great man in the worlds history, not ex- cepting the Master Himself, has had his detractors; even the personal honor of the incomparable Lee has recently been assailed, his very greatness exciting envy, but in nearly every case the calumny has resulted in greater glory.
 70 ye of little faith" thunders the the ologian, when balk is made at the story of Jonah and the whale, yet when 1t comes to Shakespeare he puts his thumbs in the armpits of his vest and says. de- cidedly. I'm from Missouri. you've got to show me-
 The Baconians demand proof, they make charge and then attempted to put the burden of proof on the defendant. Their contentious are generally based on /, in- qury. Where did Shakespeare acquire his knowledge of foreign lands, his vast fund of historical facts, his intimacy with court intrigue, his marvellous grasp of human nature and affairs? They allege that he was of obscure birth and lowly origin, of limited education, knowing
 little Latin and less Creek" and make other various and sundry charges and allegations.
 Genius has never stopped at op- stacles; genius, without effort or ap- plication, has done marvellous things; genius combined with effort and ap- plication has accomplished wonders.
 The pages of the worlds history con- tain the names of scores of men of
 'lOWly OTlSln ana ODScure Dlftn, and even from the ranks of poverty and affliction. whose works will call forth praise and admiration so long as the ages roll. Blind Tom was an ignorant negro bordering the imbecile, yet his mind became a vast storeh ouse for exquisite melodies he knew not how or why. Paderewskl, genius to start with has become 0 worlds master by application, effort and energy. If Shakespeare never travelled all the more credit to his ina gina tive powers; if his education was limited, the more commendation for overcoming that handicap; so far as the exclusive ness of court circles Is concerned, an unlovely peasant woman became em- press of autocratic Russia. Genius rec ognizes no barriers or difficulties.
 How did Shakespeare acquire his wonderful knowledge? they ask. How did the ignorant Gallileean fishermen write that marvellous story of Savior's love and sacrifice? "Oh ye of little faith"
 Not a single contemporary of Shake speare discredited hlm. but all did him honor and certainly the testimony of | his fellow dramatist. Ben Jonson, who | lived and ate and drank with him, Is l a more reliable authority than Ig- natius Donnelly, who lived 250 years after Shakespeare's death.
 l Possibly the controversy, like Ban
 quo's ghost" will not down, but even
 if 1t were possible to settle the ques-
 tion favorably to the Baconians. would