Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-01
CRIME OF TALKING SHOP.
Men Should Not Express Views on
Subjects They Are Familiar With.

From the Atlantic Monthly.
No greater intellectual service has been
rendered in this generation than the de-
velopment Of the interview and special
article to their present unique position. A
successful manufacturer, in a few un-
studied sentences. gives us the explana-
ton Of Christian Science; an eminent pol
itician allows glimpse Of unsupported
literary lore; prosperous novelist solves
social and economic problems off-hand: :
while the hero of a great criminal trial
adds to the sum Of human knowledge by
his utterances on the future of the air
ship.
Our. stupid fathers talked learnedly
about ''the argument from authority; they
were blankly ignorant of the omniScience
of fame. Just how the attainment of no.
toriety enriches the mind with stores Of
facts Is among the mysteries of psychol-
ogy; but that, in some occult way, the
arrival at prominence is synchronous with
the possession of expert knowledge, is the
experience of every well read person.
Being an editor is thus less occupation
than recreation; and serious reading. los
ing its forbidding aspect. becomes at
once education and entertainment. By
this advanced method, the greatest
thoughts of the greatest minds-which is
literature-are conveyed without delay to
the mass of their cctemporaries.
Hc OtO SlOW PIOCcSS VI pGTUlcdtlOH duO
percolation had been superseded by the
more rapidly fruitful one of inundation.
There is royal road to knowledge
fame. And while the famous one may
shed his light upon the path Of his own
ascent. it is far more interesting and
more striking to hear him discourse upon
topics foreign to his native attention or
actual research. Prodigies arouse more
curiosity than professors and the gift of
tongues is more convincing manifestation
than linguistic training. We have q
wholesome fear of the man who talks
shop.
The justification Of this fear ought to
bek and perhaps is. unnecessary. It
cratic principle Of equality. There is a
dangerous tendency nowadays to apply
the higher criticism to the statements of
the Declaration of Independence It is
procedure should escape the notice of
even the most closely 'immured closet
Philosopher. Once let the idea arise
that the historic document is not infal-
lible-is, on the contrary. open to discus
sion and criticism, not simply of what it
means. but of whether what it says is
true or not-and where will uncertainty
end? In what quarter shall American
political wisdom be found? We say moth
ing regarding the patriotism of such a
course. Taking, therefore, the words of
the Declaration at their obvious and I'M
strained Specification. we know that any
Iudu Is tic pOIh cQudl VI every OIucr man,
II not. as has been wisely observed, his
superior. The man who talks shop, con-
sequently, fundamentally. If quietly,
assumes and asserts a pretended and I'M
founded superiority which is as irritating
as it is un-American- From what did
our forefathers flee to the untamed will
derneSS if not from a baSelesS assumption
of political wisdom? Parliament had to
be taught by drastic measures that the
science of government is not esoteric.
The person who talks shop. however,
does something worse than outrage our
democracy; he commits a serious social
crime. The one thing that saves CONVEX
sation from being utterly q lost art Is the
ghly-developed "small-talk" Of modern
society. Did not no less parsonage than
the great Duke of Wellington speak Of 1t
as q grave defect that Il have no small
talk?' Now what would become Of this
same small-talk IL 1t became the impos-
sible fashion to talk shop? And what
would be the inevitable state of affairs
and social If the present Gus
tom of saying pretty moth ngs were super