The New York herald., 1922-12-10

been uttered in our midst not hundred
years ago. publicly, from the seat of
justice, by a civic magistrate The words
of our municipal rulers have a solemnity
and Importance far above the words of
other mortals, because our municipal rulers
more than any other variety of our gov
ernors and masters represent the average
wisdom, temperament, sense and virtue
of the community. This generalization, it
ought to be promptly said in the interests
of eternal justice (and recent friendship.
does not apply to the United States of
America There, if one may believe the
long and helpless indignations of their daily
and weekly press. the majority of muni-
cipal rulers appear to be thieves of par
ticularly irTepressible sort. But this by the
way Ny concern is with statement is
suing from the average temperament and
the average wisdom of great and wealthy
community. and uttered by a civic magis-
trate obviously without fear and without
reproach.
l confess 1 am pleased with his temper,
which is that of prudence. 81 have not
read the books" he says. and Immediately
he adds, "and if / have read them l have
forgotten" This is excellent caution. And
like his style: it is unartificial and bears
the stamp of manly sincerity. AS a re-
ported piece of prose this declaration is
easy to read and not difficult to believe
Many books nave not been read: still more
have been forgotten. AS a piece of civic
oratory this declaration is strikingly effec-
tive. Calculated to fall in with the bent of
the popular mind familiar with all
forms of forgetfulness, it has also the
power to stir up a subtle emotion while
it starts a train of thought-and what
great force can be expected from human
speech? But it is in naturalness that this
declaration is perfectly delightful for there
is nothing more natural than for a grave
City Father to forget what the books he
has read once-long ago-in his giddy
youth may be-were about.
And the books in question are novels or
at any rate. were written as novels L
proceed thus cautiously following my il
lustrious example) because being without
fear and desiring to remain as far as pos
sible without reproach. l confess at once
that l have not read them.
have not; and of the million persons
or more who are said to have read them
1 never met one yet with the talent of
lucid exposition sufficiently developed to
give me a connected account of what they
are about. But they are books, part and
parcel of humanity, and as SUCH in their
ever increasing. josting multitude, they
are worthy of regard admiration, and
compassion.
Especially of compassion. 1t has been
said long time ago that books have their
fate They have and it is very much like
the destiny of man. They share with us
the great incertitude of ignominy or glory
of severe justice and senseless persecu-
tion-of calumny and misunderstanding
the shame OF undeserved success. OF all
the inanmate objects. of all mems crea-
tions, books are the nearest to us, for
they contain our very thought, our ambi-
tions, our indignations, our illusions. our
fidelity to truth and our persistent lean
ing toward error. But most of all they
resemble us in their precarious hold on
life. bridge constructed according to
the rules of the art of bridge building is
certain of a long, honorable and useful
career. But book as good in it's way as
the bridge may perish obscurely on the
very day of its birth. The art of their
creators is not sufficient to give them