The Boston Globe - Sunday, April 14, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
Wilde Considered Doomed to Oblivion
Deeper Than the Grave.
The blow to English national pride inflicted by the exposure of the Oscar Wilde infamies is still producing the strongest manifestations of resentment, shame and alarm in all classes of society. Interest is keener than ever in the pursuit of others in high places, whom common rumor associates with the same black crew. The inquiry is especially directed toward a prominent member of the house of lords, who has left the country for his country's good, and who, even if he escapes the fate now hanging over Wilde, will never again enter the society of which, 10 days ago, he was a leading member.
NEW YORK, April 13. - The Sun's London correspondent cables: The blow to English national pride inflicted by the exposure of the Oscar Wilde infamies is still producing the strongest manifestations of resentment, shame and alarm in all classes of society. Public curiosity to know the details of the long series of crimes alleged against the prisoner in the Police Court has much abated. Interest is keener than ever, however, in the pursuit of others in high places whom rumor associates with the same black crew. Inquiry is especially directed toward a prominent member of the House of Lords who has left his country for the country's good and who, even if he escapes the fate now hanging over Wilde, will never again enter society.
Wilde's guilt seems so overwhelmingly established that his doom is regarded as sealed, and everybody regrets that it is necessary to bring him yet again two or three times to the light of day before consigning him to oblivion deeper than the grave.
His case is so hopeless that some of the more charitable of those formerly his friends are showing a little pity for the miserable creature, pity based solely on the assumption that his responsibility is somewhat lessened by mental disease. Thus Labouchere, who has known him for years, says that he has always regarded him as somewhat wrong in the head. The editor of Truth adds: "So strange and wondrous is his mind when in an abnormal condition that it would not surprise me if he were deriving keen enjoyment from a position which most people, whether innocent or guilty, would prefer to die rather than occupy. He must have known in what a glass house he lived when he challenged investigation in the court of justice. After he had done this he went abroad. Why did he not stay abroad? The possibilities of prison may not be pleasing to him, but I believe the notoriety that has overtaken him has such a charm for him that it outweighs everything else."
His case is so hopeless that some of the more charitable of those formerly his friends are showing a little pity for the miserable creature, pity based solely on the assumption that his responsibility is somewhat lessened by mental disease. Thus Mr. Labouchere who has known him for years, says that he has always regarded him as somewhat wrong in the head. The editor of Truth adds: "So strange and wondrous is his mind when in an abnormal condition, that it would not surprise me if he were deriving keen enjoyment from a position which most people, whether innocent or guilty, would prefer to die rather than to occupy. He must have known in what a glass house he lived when he challenged investigation in a Court of Justice. After he had done this he went abroad. Why did he not stay abroad? The possibilities of prison may not be pleasing to him, but I believe the notoriety that has overtaken him has such a charm for him that it outweighs everything else."
Wilde's doom is regarded as sealed. His case is so hopeless that some of the more charitable of those formerly his friends are showing a little pity for the miserable creature, pity based solely on his assumption that his responsibility is somewhat lessened by mental disease. Thus Mr. Labouchere, who has known him for years, says that he has always regarded him as somewhat wrong in the head. The editor of Truth adds: "So strange and wondrous is his mind when in an abnormal condition that it would not surprise me if he were deriving keen enjoyment from a position which most people, whether innocent or guilty, would prefer to die rather than to occupy. He must have known in what a glass house he lived when he challenged investigation in a court of justice. After he had done this he went abroad. Why did he not stay abroad? The possibilities of prison may not be pleasing to him, but I believe the notoriety that has overtaken him has such a charm for him that it outweighs everything else."
An incident which Labouchere quotes, however, tends to show much method in Wilde's madness for notoriety. He says: "I remember in the early days of the cult aestheticism of hearing some one ask him how a man of his undoubted capacity could make such a fool of himself. He gave this explanation. He had written, he said, a book of poems. In vain he went to this publisher and to that publisher, asking them to bring them out. Not one would even read them, for he was unknown.
"In order to find a publisher he felt he must do something to become a personality, so he hit upon aestheticism. It succeeded. People talked about him and invited him to their houses as a sort of lion. He then took his poems to a publisher who still, without reading them, gladly accepted them."
While the interest in Wilde is rapidly disappearing, there is a strong tendency on the part of aroused public opinion to make the exposure of vice complete, as a necessary measure toward eradicating it. Thus Jerome K. Jerome makes the startling assertion in his paper: "I doubt very much, and I am not using words loosely, whether this particular evil be a wit less rampant in London or New York today than it ever was in Rome or Athens of old. I would that our Mrs Grundys and Mr Podsnaps knew a little more of the world in which they live. They would see that their methods have utterly failed. We want a little more outspokeness on the matter. When some months ago I attacked the chameleon in terms that were considered justified, I was bombarded with indignant letters from those who told me such things are best left untouched, and I was accused of advertising the evil. Silence is not the way to meet these approaches. Evil loves silence. Publicity is to it as daylight to the owl."
While the interest in Wilde is rapidly disappearing, there is a strong tendency on the part of aroused public opinion to make the exposure of vice complete as a necessary measure toward eradicating it. Thus Jerome K. Jerome makes this startling assertion in his paper: "I doubt very much, and I am not using words loosely, whether this particular evil is a wit less rampant in London or New York to-day than it ever was in Rome or Athens of old. I would that our Mrs. Grundys and Mr. Podsnaps knew a little more of the world in which they live. They would see that their methods have utterly failed. We want a little more outspokeness on the matter. When, some months ago, I attacked the chameleon in terms that I consider justified, I was bombarded with indignant letters from those who told me such things are best left untouched, and I was accused of advertising the evil. Silence is not the way to meet these approaches . Evil loves silence. Publicity is to it as daylight to an owl."