New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-05


l3ut there has appeared an Eng ishman
whose acngc Of humor and OF the ludi-
crous has been aroused by the adver-
tisencnt quoted. lie has written to "Ihe
Daily Mall the following commentary
thereon:
cit ia notorious that the world hears
little OF It's greatest men. the VISION OF
genius starving in a garrett Is famiIlar'
The spectacle OF the poet who adds from
his abundance 10 the happiness OF ms TEL
lows and profits every one but himself
is sad and not uncommon.
Genius Often Misunderstood.
Even where genius Is able 10 buy itself
bread and butter IL is too often overlooked
or misunderstood. In the eyes OF ms con-
temporarics Shakespeare was not so much
a poet as an efficient actor and pros
porous shareholder I'm a theatrical syndi-
cate. IL was left for later age TO discuss
and esteem his true qualities. Charles
Lamb Is to-day popular hero his
books. which brought him nothing, are
knocked down at auction for fabulous
sums Clubs arc founded In his honor
and no year passes without an adulatory
Grafton. When he was alive he was asked
TO resign his post on a magazine TO make
way for that ineffable charlatan, Janus
Weathercock and he owned himself,
gloomly. that nothing 10 which he hal
put his name had the smallest chance of
attracting the people. Similar Instances
may be culled In any century you like 10
choose They should recur no more. The
greatest man of our time, perhaps OF all
time has shown way out Of obscurity.
He has boldly proclaimed his virtues in
an advertisement. and doubtless awaits
the result with perfect composure.
lie is Master Man with Master
Mind. he tells rs In his pleasant. modest
way, and we have every reason to believe
him. He sets forth his shining merits
with a quiet confidence. which is the
surest expression OF strength. There is
no reason for him to blow the trumpet or
TO beat the drum A Master Man needs
merely 10 mention that he is there D.
evoke a thousand impetuous responses.
He possesses in an eminent degree all the
advantages of birth and training. lie be-
longs TO class which has given 10 Eng
land her greatest statesmen and her
bravest soldiers He is an English gentle
man of county family, this Master Man,
the product no doubt of public school and
university.
He has enjoyed, moreover, such an ex-
perience as falls 10 the lot of few Master
Men. He is ready for enterprise-"man-
agerial, literary. tresorial or secretarlal
His sense OF literature is proved by the
advertisement, which we are sure was
devised by no other than his own Master
Mind 1t is OF noble, compact EXPIRES
sion The writer does not waste words,
though IL must have tasked even his
genius to put so much into so small a
space. For rates are high and there are
no special terms. fear, for Master Men.
IL is plain moreover that he has a bold
invention. He does not bow the knee to
authority, and in the course Of poor
dozen lines he has been able TO devise one
word, "tresorial," hitherto unknown to
our dictionaries. II is TO be hoped that
those who guard our tongue will take due
note of this new specimen.
But. great as seems his literary talent.
he is no mere bookworm. He IS, above
all. a man OF action. lie has not had
managerial and 'tresoriar experiences
for nothing. He may be intrusted with
the care OF estates or the conduct of af-
fairs. A born leader of men. he is used
to control a large staff His tact is
miraculous There is no business, big or
small, that he will not organize. And
what we admire most highly In this mas
ter man is not his master mind, but his
engaging modest. When he might come
forth md fight for place in the sul lie
is content with a humble advertisement.
He approaches the world, which should
be his for the asking, by the same avenue
which lies open TO the vender Of a patent
pill; and when he might call himself
Cesar or Alexander he signs his mani
festo with the name of Masterman Resdy,
the resourceful hero Of "a boyish romance
Here, indeed, we have an undersigned tes-
timony of grandeur. And we cannot SUI
ficiently marvel that so much worth and
virtue come from Belsize Road.
But when this master man with d
master mind is cordially recommended 10
any nobleman or gentleman it is time TO
protest. Supermen are rare In any age
and this incarnation of the gospel of
Nietzsche must not be permitted to give
up TO a private patron what was meant
IL not for mankind at least for the British
Empire. The British Empire has fallen
upon evil days; the democracy has been
upon its trial for some eight years and has
proved lamentably wanting. The Mother
OF Pariaments, tricked and bedizened un-
til she can no longer be recognized. IS
played out. We face the storm and stress
OF the next few years in feSr and trepi-
dalton. Civil war threatens us In Ireland.
and no ray of peaceful hope may be dts
cerned in he leaden sky.
Abroad there Is the same tale to tell
OF incompetence. A British citizen mas
been killed in Mexico and none of our
diplomats can discover a means of nun
ishing the aggressor. We are conscious
all the while of the necessities of do