The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-03
SWEETNESS AND LIGHT.

s@ &NEE-ESkS% AMI .
What drivsling bul'seye and molasses non
sense is this that DR.. Fake Artist Cook is trying
to put over now?
He opposes recognition Of Commander Robert
4. Peary on the ground that neutral. straight
forw ard and honest men must arrive at a YER
dict Of mot proven" after considering his proofs
of discovery Of the North Pole. Saying which.
DR.. Cook Immediately declares mot proven in
strong tones. thus placing himself In a class
aEere he decidedly does hot belong, and work
ing an injustice upon each and every neutral.
Straightforward and honest citizen.
This plunderer of the public purse declares
that had the armchair geographers in Wash.
sngton taken a. jug of sorghum and part Of a
burglars kit and lighted the latter, that It's rays
might fall upon the former, they would have
found that the suns image is an oblong streak
Of light with ill-defined edges. and that this can
not be recorded on a sextant with sufficient ac-
euracy to make 1t of any use as al observation.
Had Dr. Cook remained In an armchair, as
have the geographers who have passed upon
Commander Peary's proofs, both he and this
country would be better OF to-day. II they are
rendering their country the same patriotic ser
vice he would have given had he remained in
one, they are indeed TO he commended. The talk
Of moIasses and b~ulrs-eye from DR.. Cook may
furnish the missing link as to how he got the
few records with which he returned TO this
country.
There may be something in DR.. Cooks insist
ence that Peary did not reach the North Pole.
out whatever weight the assertions might have
Is lost hopelessly and irretrieyably because OF
their source. There is Que item which DR.. Cook.
- might well be expected from Munchausen and
him. entirely overlooks. That Is integrity, vera
city and responsibility in the man who offers
the proofs and talk of polar discovery.
We are frank to confess that we are very
weary Of DR.. Cook and Of seeing him alluded to
by the deluded and childish as the Original
Discoverer of the North Pole" 1t was not
enough that he should perpetrate the most col
iossal fake and dupe on the civilized world, bu
lie returns, not to face the music, but to become
bombastic, excoriate his critics and pick flaws
IN the proofs submitted by a man who at leas
has q better claim TO recognition as a discovers
than he has, and who win doubtless have the
goodness to remain in the rear when made
rear-admiral
Flight is not always to be interpreted US al
Indication of guilt. but continued flight, sucf
as was DIR, Cooks, comes pretty near beini
pvanaa facte evidence. Coupled with this is th'
bringing to bay of Or, Cook by a relentless mag
azine owner, and the virtual confession of tn
alleged discoverer that he nailed the stars anc
stripes to the pole in a mental alteration, in
stead of in fact.
Under promise to write an expose OF his mon
uniental fraud and express repentance. DIR. Cool
was suffered To return 10 this country unharm
ed. Since his coming hnck he has entertainet
himself by writing scathing denunciations o
lenged his claims when he first returned from
fha north, and wha haze proxea beyond aoHb
that he did not get within many miles of IN,
poie. His magazine articles are not only uncon
vincing and non-productive OF sympathy, but
sloppy series of metaphysics. psychology, ant
analysis of the sensations of a brain In which
the imagination was over deveioped beyond al
known bounds of deceit and trickery.
As the guardian of the North Pole, DR.. Cool
is thoroughly iItcast in his self-assumed role
Let him take his bulls-eye and hunt oblivion
and use his molasses to hold him fast there.