Spanish Ascendancy
October 13, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 545 warnings to the electorate. But the name Smith, in ally veering round. It...
...Despite tested to by friends and foes alike...
...It is so large, so baffling, so danthis instance, covers, not only a multitude of sins, but gerous in its ramifications that the New York scene also a multiplicity of virtues...
...Still more noteworthy, however, is with whatever modifications or additions, will neces- the proof of deep interest in the Divine Comedy manisarily continue to draw strength from the mother fested by people in all walks of life who have hitherto source, wedding to their colonial and often primitive seldom appeared in print...
...Almost every state in the circumstances the renascent strength of an old race...
...guidance of national affairs...
...Both the intellect and the emotions of colonies...
...Best of all, scarcely any of the papers tradition, language, and aspiration are all different...
...It may be that Al worth seems to feel that it is-then Al Smith will Smith will some day have the opportunity to declare enter the national arena without one powerful weapon...
...convictions," comments the New York Times ediNo other candidate would, however, present so torially, "will carefully avoid a place where they might definite and direct a figure...
...But though this following is the affiliation of Spanish scholarship with the general resolute, it is not really redoubtable...
...Artigas outlines the imabout it...
...With him the Democratic party W RITING in the exceptionally interesting German would be outspokenly a "wet" party and no mistake review Abendland, Dr...
...trend of thought in Europe...
...The others-the tradiand enjoys a rather long and obvious tradition...
...But these are turbed at the delay which may be required in reaching only such as have never cared to understand or profit a decision...
...There But for the sake, among other things, of honest politiis nobody else with the same record, not to mention cal diction in the United States, w e sincerely hope that the same magnetic name...
...Here is the question to language, and literature...
...men began to see the need for some kind of comproThe personal following of William Randolph mise...
...These are the abidingly valuable, work in South America has those who will themselves soon be utterly dead...
...They grappled their souls to the superpolitical conventions...
...But the Governor of New he may be both...
...To some extent, their distrust of eastern endez y Pelayo and down to the close of the ninedomination is founded upon the very things which teenth century...
...The "Junta para amAre these elements powerful enough to prevent the pliacion des Estudios" was the most important of nomination, or later the election, of the man they these, and founded circles for the study of history, would unalterably oppose...
...Spanish academicians the present moment," said the poet, William Cowper, now teach in Hispanic universities, even while the in a moment of friendly confidence...
...The judge of an schools from which they came furnish abundant proof essay contest is likely to wish he could remember those of awakened intellectual life in the mother country...
...The tenaciously by the most modern of the cientificos...
...If compromise is really a be called upon to say what they actually think...
...But pink because it had once been gorgeously red...
...A few may be stunned by the sight of a that those who have given so much of their time and Spain which they believed dead suddenly "raising her- energy to the preparation of papers will not be disself like a strong man after sleep...
...The cause is probably licanism, told the Columbia University public last Volsteadism, magnificent dampener of political free June...
...words and quote them effectively...
...They are fairly numerous...
...A queer hush seems to have stricken pactly what Nicholas Murray Butler, dean of Repub- down all the golden voices...
...have afforded opposition to Al Smith in the past, but At this time, writes Dr...
...Without arought to be the first to view it with acclaim...
...age, according to the run of critics, is superficial, mateAs a consequence, the awakening life of Spain is rialistic, and flippant...
...Nor were the conservatives, for their stance, accepted as the norm for the judgment of all part, very much wiser...
...Artigas draws particular attention to the "increas- essays in great number have come into this office, necesing scientific achievement of the Spanish clergy, as sitating a considerable expenditure of effort and puncexemplified by a number of distinguished periodicals...
...is of even greater importance to us because of the Many eminent Dantean scholars in all parts of the possible effect upon Latin America...
...October 13, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 545 warnings to the electorate...
...And those who promote this, published before...
...There are some who prothem neatly upon paper...
...We rogance, we hope that The Commonweal will have have nothing to fear, everything to gain, from the served to promote this end...
...As internal strife, colonial defections, and intellectual hosa matter of fact, they may still be said to remain tilities...
...Smith is, with the exception of Governor Ritchie, the only candidate of importance before the SPANISH ASCENDANCY public whose attitude toward Volsteadism has been frank and consistent...
...once belonged to the crown of Castile is cherished We would draw attention to what this means...
...These people are not This sharp and fatal cleft between views of culture all yokels nor are they uniformly worried about the lasted through the lifetime of the great scholar Men"sinful city...
...Meanwhile, New York State remains York would instantly align against himself the follow- something like an index to the general American pubing prominent elements lic mind...
...Some of the where else in the world, a culture-a civilization-is papers received undoubtedly contain information never absolutely essential...
...Defining the last he remarks : "Some rallied rather definitely in control of American public opinion...
...Who necessity in politics-and, incidentally, Senator Wads- doubts that they are very wise...
...All the really constructive, fess to believe that Dante is a waning star...
...There is no other Democrat of the same stature...
...Meanwhile, we trust change...
...The average revolutionary in Latin America would discuss life with him...
...If New York should repudiate Al Smith, it speech, but there are other causes also...
...portant new orientation of the Spanish mind...
...These have been at- is colored by a peculiar form of abstention...
...It is important that interest in this master of EuroIf there is now to be a rebirth, the United States pean thought and art should increase...
...tiliousness, the total result of the contest has been most If all this is interesting when applied to Spain, it encouraging...
...been done in the spirit of Spain...
...But surely Dante is none of sure to have a great and salutary effect upon the old these things...
...In them, as in the mother country, extrem- ity who wrestles exactingly with all its being and its ists were forever setting the world on fire or freezing problems, and who requires a good deal of those who it stiff...
...He conThe rank and file of those who do not "believe siders the Napoleonic wars critical in the history of that government is intended to help those who can- his country because they introduced a long period of not help themselves...
...ficies of the past, desperately afraid of all new ideas The enemies of New York as an influence in the and attributing the decline of their country to change...
...The speech which the things at stake, no prominent speaker from outnominated the Governor for his fifth term was flat- side the confines of the commonwealth will venture to tering indeed, but it merely stated a little less com- discuss them...
...that he wished rather to be upright than president...
...Then came the great war, which all citizens who reflect upon politics are gradu- "giving Spanish thought time and opportunity to re546 THE COMMONWEAL October 13, 1926 view more profoundly the bases of the national cul- CLOSING THE DANTE CONTEST ture...
...Artigas, young university they may not always be able to distinguish clearly...
...may be...
...Therefore many who had gone to German, Hearst, to whom the Governor issued a challenge of French, or English universities for higher education, battle when he insisted that the State Convention en- founded organizations having for their primary object dorse the World Court...
...What is said and done within its confines The foes of liquor modification, wheresoever they may not be conclusive, but it is at least evidence...
...But though Dante Dr...
...if it cheerfully endorses less orators who do not fear the face of man and him, there will be a real candidate for the highest who never hesitate to utter and stand by their deep national office...
...The CommonIt is, in fact, astonishing how tenaciously even "liberal" weal contest, it is safe to say, brought to light a deeper citizens of Chile or the Argentine cling to time-honored and wider interest in the work of Dante than has been customs and transmitted ideas...
...that our practical powers are taxed to the utmost...
...It tionalists-were quite as extreme, because they did not is not a highly intellectual organization, but it does recognize the vital principle of the things they were vote and does seat its captains in high places and in defending...
...In grapple between stark conservatism and unbounded more ways than one he is the encyclopaedist of humanprogress...
...There, as every- world have sent in their contributions...
...Union, European nations like England and Italy, and No amount of will-power will ever make the United far-off countries such as New Zealand and South Africa States the civic model of Latin America, because race, are represented...
...He went back and donned his of professional endeavor, have read and meditated Spanish mental costume as tranquilly as if he had never carefully upon work which Matthew Arnold, for inbeen out of it...
...The big and would beat an incomprehensible retreat from its own brainy men, the bold and forthright men, the dauntpolitical high-water mark...
...It became apparent that European civilization was not all nimbus, even though its progress in method « HAOS himself, even the chaos of Milton, is not is admirable...
...submitted are trivial or without value...
...The final result was a reawakening surrounded with more confusion, nor has a of the national confidence, and of a new interest in mind more completely in a hubbub, than I experience at the affairs of South America...
...They, too, have been stifled by the death man were the objects of his long, relentless pursuit...
...A privilege which evoked by any other medium...
...They borrowed a few weak important literature and which a Sovereign Pontiff social principles, a handful of random original ideas, crowned as the most magnificent poetic expression of from Europe and then seemed content with setting the spirit of Christendom...
...Con- our contest proves how large is the number of those tact with Anglo-Saxonism seldom modified this shallow who, without making the study of the poet an object apostle of change...
...This army is far-flung regard for tradition or history...
...round the banner of the Revolution and believed they The great army of those who are convinced that a could solve the problems of Spain by simply transmember of the Catholic Church ought not to be en- ferring French culture across the Pyrenees, without trusted with the presidency...
...The proportions assumed by the endeavor by history, and in whom certain romantico-reformatory prove so much larger than anything we had anticipated myths have taken the place of intellectual vertebrae...
...Even such a matter as has been a person-or a member of the "Loges"- carefully reading through necessary Dantean commenwho fancied that the world might well be beautifully tary will consume many an afternoon and evening...
Vol. 4 • October 1926 • No. 23
