The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-04

I audac,tv To cross question the MUSES.. a
sacriIege to enter the temple oil thelr
worship with the lamp or science, Cal
ileo startled the ortnodXy OF his age, re-
ilgious and scientific alike. by his dec,
Iaration that the earth revolVes around
the sun Darwin shocked the world with
his announcement that man and monkey
arc descendants OF a common ancestor
an arboreal creature with tail and point
ed cars The thought OF such lowly orig
in was most repusnant TO many; wh4 S,,.ioo mao
origin, but Darwiu's evidence staggered
the world. made II pause and investigate.
Investigation was followed by convic'
tons
II Is n trait OF human nature that In.
our thinking and In our judgments we
like other natural agencies, follow the
law OF inertia. There arc few indeed
whose intellectual faculties are so strong
ns To compel them TO recognize and stand
for the right even at the cost OF going
counter to. rather than in accordance
with. the general consensus OF opinion.
Hence. few persons form their own con-
clusions on subjects requiring mucn
thought: IL is easier and pleasanter Tor
them To let others do the pioneer think
ing. They ascertain what those authori-
ties think who are supposed TO know.
and with whom II will be The most
crcditable to agree, and then tmnk 'heii
Every ones experience affords many
illustrations Of this human weakness that
makes the voice of the goos the voice s
years the Christian world was controlled
chiefly by faith, fear, and fire untlI
quite recently few have dared TO use use
their reason. Not many, even now, give
reason full rein. The monument erected
to genius in tho not remote past mas
Frequently been one OF faeots The SUP,
version OF the fittcst, through clerical
selection and educational bias during the
dark ages has ensmalled modern thought.
Born leaders. men guided by their own
understanding are few ,,, inc ms1orin5s NY
lines of least resistance, and these lines
do not always lie through the under
standing.
who not having the ability TO lead and
lacking either the faith or the courage
to follow, hang on to the coat tails OF
dcluslon that they are mcritorious con-
servatives.
The ability to perceive, appreciate. and
Judge. without bias, true distinctions or
merit is one of the rarcst of intellectual
cudownents.
Mr. Maxim explains that "The main
object of this book is to provide a
practical method for literary criticism
and analysis. and a standard of uni
form Judgment for determining the
relative merits of literary productions,
and further. to supply more practical
and efficient means than NE have had
heretofore for the standardization of
poetry, whereby any poem may be as
saved. and the amount of its poetic
gold determined and separated from the
Stag and rross. The more
have studied. the stronger has grown
my conviction that no other subject Of
equal interest and Importance to man
kind has been so neglected by science.
so abandoned to the chaos Of mis-
understanding. There is. indeed no
general agreement as to what consti-
tutes poetry. There are as many opin-
ions as thero are critics. Often the
worst poetry is pronounced The best.
and often the best the worst. by some
who are considered leading authori
tics -
The author enters into very eIabo.
rate analysis Of poetry, making com
PARSONS, passing Judgments, and set
ting off one form or style of construc-
tion against another to bring out the
beauties, the defects. and the compare
Tive strength and weakness of each