The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-11-08

of getting something for|
nothing represents the dearest wish
Of every member of the leisure classes,
and so their favorite fiction deals with
charm-poachers.
Eight years ago a clever. writer pub
lished the life-history of a charm
poacher by the name of "Jurgen."
don't know just how it happened, no
doubt some friends of the author called
the attention Of the anti-vice society
OF New York to the book, and the
publisher was arrested, and the price
went up to twenty dollars a copy. The
result was that every college under
graduate of any literary pretensions
made it the aim of his young life to
get "Jurgen" and sit up all night with
it, and start trying anything once the
following night. So it has come about
that James Branch Cabell is the hero
and idol Of ninety-nine per cent of
our young intelligenzia, and his ivory
tower in Richmond, Virginia, almost
overtops that Of Mr.. Hergesheimer.
This son Of a distinguished old
Virginia family earned his living for
many years as a genealogist; that is
to say, he was employed to search out
or invent ancient lineages and con-
struct family-trees for purse-proud
snobs. This has given him inventive
ness, pliability of mind, and intimacy
1.-i+b Be-
a fiction-writer he has employed these
qualities in the construction of u
mythology so plausible that you can
hardly tell it from the realm fact
l never did make sure how much of
the Jurgen legend is found in the
encyclopedia and how much is cabel-
lous. Jurgen wanders far, and many
strange experiences befall him, and
for while you are puzzled as to what
it is all about; but soon you discover
the key, and after that it is all sim
pie; there is male generative organ,
and female generative organ, and
the former approaches the latter, and
that is all that ever happens in the
Cabell ivory tower, and all you need
to know about the fiction, mythology,
history, philosophy, art and Episcopal
religion of the gentleman in Rich
mond, Virginia.
have friends who know Mr.. Cabell,
and report him as an amiable person,
and protest against the vehcmence of
my loathing for his books. 1t is not
considered good form for radical
writer's to object to obscenity, for fear
Of giving aid to the censor. Because
you don't want to have your oppon-
ents hit over the head by q police.
mans club, it is assumed that you
make no opposition to them whatever,
but take flabby attitude on moral
questions, granting anybody's right to
teach anything without rebuke. At
risk % numbering myself among the
react'onaries, l rise to say that all life
is a series Of acts of choice, and that
according as we choose wisely or
othorwisely, we have happiness or suf-
foring, for our innocent posterity as
we'll as for ourselves. That is the
meaning Of morality; and while scien-
tific progress will alter our choice,
nothing will do away with the need
Of choosing, or the Importance Of
choosing right. The fact that we abol-
ish the policeman's club implies that
we intend to make all the more Wig
orous use Of other forces; to wage
what William Blake calls "moral
fight" in favor of wise and sound life
choosing.
Therefore I give my opinion, that
Jurgen" is one of the most depraved