The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25


a. ftlre rite les honnctcs gcns.-Molierc.
~ HE Salon Of Humortsts IL new
institution that is devoted to
the uplift OF American humor.
attended the first exhibition,
now open in the Folsom Galleries, and
before had half circlcd the gallery I
sank into depression Of spirits from
which | have scarcely yet recovered.
It is in fact the saddest show Of all
the sad new year. There are some
who might possibly find touch OF fun
in the title Salon of Humorists." but
for myself I felt too badly abused to
laugh at that inaptitude. The con-
tributing artists. as nearly as one may
make out, are the most admired and
successful of this country. 1t is all
the more tragic therefore that one
cannot smile nor even laugh at their
efforts.
when one hears n good thing or sees
in the case of n picture good thing
one goes straightway rejoicing among
ones friends spreading the joyful
"mot." took but hurried glance last
week at my newly arrived Punch. the
most wonderful journal in the world
upon the subject of the great war
without exception. and to every one
that met during the rest of that day
/ recounted the admirable Jokes OF
Punch as a matter Of duty. Those to
whom I told them no doubt passed
them on in their turn, for We have in
deed become pitfully poverty stricken
in the local tender that passes as wit.
How completely stricken we are, how
-, don hvr a
visit to this new exhibition.
There is nothing here that one
would care to share with friends.
Merely for the sake Of the record and
with all due apologies to my readers
in advance, there are two OF these
specimens OF "humor' that l must
quote.
First is George Bellows's drawing
Of a tramp who rejects an object that
ne has found in a garbage pail with
the remark. 'Deys woims in It,"
The second is a dialogue Of "A couple
at a costume dance. presumably on the
Bowcry. 4 woman indicating some
jewellers drinking at a bar says, 20,
there's my husband" and the reply Is.
THANK God. he's getting drunk"
This is by Maurice Becker.
These are in my opinion the two
most vulgar items in the exhibition,
but tho mass of the work on display is
only slightly less revolving. Ii seems
to me that an intelligent person who
Is compelled TO scan such productions
cannot escape without a sense of posi-
tive degradation. There are one or
two exceptions that shall be faithfully
noted in the cause of exact justice
but these exceptions are not numerous
enough nor powerful enough in them
selves to offset the mass OF damaged
goods.
The impression is unavoidable that
these artists are without any expert
ence Of life and have throttled the
powers of Imagination with which
they must have started out. II goes
without saying that they have mo-
cut off this power from themselves
consciously. II is the state Of society
the condition Of things in genera
that has thus mutilatcd them a.
comic artists and which makes then
situation and ours so critical.
The prcpondcranCe OF drawings por.
tray tramps. hut without the s!ightes
satire or devil may care philosoph,
that the subject holds. Every tram
IS satire upon respeCtahlity, bu
90 see the point ono must first com
pphend respectability The rihalC
rLf'ian who sciZes the Bottled Imp
a. the close Of Stevenson's witty story
delighted at the chance for unlimited
drink which possession Of tho iml
gives in exchange for an eternal soul
IS hilarious and needed corrective
FOR the ovcrchargcd senEmentality o
the rest Of tho tale, He in fact make
che story.
Just 80 tho tramp may ne made II
art highly Negotiating pcrsonag
capab Of entertaining and instructiv
comment upon Us, upon YOU and mr.
dear reader What would one no
give for genuine reports Of the as
poets Of modern io,blcs seen from tina
angle Its a mistake to imagine tn
tramp as absolutely severed from III
course of life. Ne knows what is goin
on and sometimes sees the siGnifica
ton of events in advance of the arts
tocrat. II is also an error to presum
the tramp To be invariably a hgur
OF tragedy. JOSIAH flNnt, an du
thority upon the subject If YOU requir
70 he convinced. cites numbers Of in
stances Of trampS who made a joyou
profession of their careers.
There still is, it cannot he den!et
the helpless crew
Who hid in cellars, and the s,ragglel
Who
Dodeed hvre and there In corners OF II
earth
Cursing the sun,
but they are fit subjects for a poet