|
Would Have Us Muzzle Mencken To the Editor or The Evening Sun—Sir: Why must this senseless strife between Baltimore and the Eastern Shore continue? Surely, those who know Mr. Mencken recognize his writings as the vaporings of a warped mentality and realize that they carry no weight with intelligent people. Eastern Shoremen do not think that the people and press of Baltimore can share the abysmal ignorance displayed by Mr. Mencken. However, they fear that the widespread publicity given his recent article may lead people in other sections of the country who are not familiar with the character of Mr. Mencken's writing to form erroneous impressions of this section of the State.
Mr. Mencken was once widely read because he was amusing, but now that he has become offensive his articles will serve to diminish rather than improve the circulation of your papers. Only by showing their disapproval of his insulting remarks through the press can the people of Baltimore hope to retain the good will and trade of the Eastern Shore. G. F. Beaven.
Hillsboro, Md., Dec. 12.
Devastating Eastern Shore Wit
To the Editor of The Evening Sun—Sir: Last fall a Negro woman in the southern part of the county named her new baby "Akron." She said that next to the airship the baby's father was the biggest gas bag she knew of. Of course, had she known at the time that ; ur Mr. Mencken is a bigger gas bag than the Akron she would have named the infant "Henry M." Snow Hill, Md., Dec. 16. W. M. Sturgis.
Thinks Mencken Was Put On Earth As A "Disciple Of Christ To Teach Christianity To Barbarians" To the Editor of The Evening Sun—Sir: I have read Mr. H. L. Mencken's article, "Eastern Shore Kultur," also every other article of his which has appeared in your paper for many years. I have yet to disagree with him. Mr. Mencken was criticized on his article on the Arkansas sufferers about a year ago. In my opinion, this was a great help to the poor peasants of all the States; it enlightened them as to the cause of their predicament. Now he is trying to enlighten the savage people of the Eastern Shore who took part in the brutal lynching at Salisbury and is being rebuked by many who, by their letters, possess intelligence but not Christianity. Mr. Mencken is only trying to Christianize the un-Christians. If we had more Menckens, we would have less lynching parties. In today's issue one writer says many people wonder why the Almighty allows such people (meaning Mr. Mencken) to cumher the earth, and compares him to the plague of Egypt as a curse on humanity because of its sins. I believe he was placed on this earth as a disciple of Christ to teach Christianity to the barbarians.
Now they propose to start a boycott campaign on the Baltimore merchants; this will stir up more strife and only cause the honest-to-goodness Christians to condemn them the more. The people of Baltimore will not boycott Eastern Shore products, which are many. They are too intelligent and know that such a practice would not be according to Christ's teachings. I should think the people of the Shore (or the press, rather) would declare an armistice on the matter and get back to Christ's teachings, which would make us all happy. Severn, Md., Dec. 14. R. F. Redmiles.
Well, This Eastern Shoreman Is No
Slouch With The Poison Pen To the Editor of The Evening Sun—Sir:
I've read this "Eastern Shore Kultur" stuff of Henry Mencken's and it really makes me wonder how anyone at all familiar with the way old "Hen" has always had of dipping his pen into the cesspool of his own soul and writing his heart out could ever have taken any sort of offense at that effiusion of his.
What a prize lyncher Henry would make, particularly gifted as he is for staying in the background and stirring the other fellow on to desperate deeds (like boycotting The Sun, for instance).
If this man ever gets saved, what a Billy Sunday he would make!
The old "Hen" still knows how to scratch in the dunghill for the dollar. Anybody who will take the time to rummage through old Noah Webster's rubbish heap for stuff with which to adorn his high-browish righteousness, take a good drink of "bootleg" and start in to "smear" his neighbors can win more attention and coin more coin than a whole Sermon on the Mount over a world-wide "hook-up." You see, when judged against the background of our idealistic ways our neighbors are all such a lot of impossible morons—mental, moral and spiritual—they need a good "cussin'," and we are perfectly willing to pay such a good "cusser" as Henry good money to do It,
IT/\». ^lll+tlva w,f ^oai" VirniVwtvv* nar
|
