THE PAMPHLETEER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 72, 18 December 1919, Page 11

THE PAMPHLETEER

REVIVAL OF FORGOTTEN ARTS ANCIENT " PUBLICITY WRITERS " There is no new thing under the sun. We 'think we aro progressing' when wo aro merely rotating. Two centuries .ago curtain men were called pamphleteers; to-day thev are called publicity officers, liot'n have' the same function, both impend on the. ,amo factors-Hie gmlo of the writer and t'iic gullibility of the reader. , , , , The panini.ie' has an. oul 'ind not always honourable history. The eighteenth century saw its highest ascendency. Never tolore'or since Inn it been u-ed by. such masters of thought and style.. Pamphlets then wcie often important, political' deliverances. Thu-c of the Queen Anno period were no mere litciary ephemeral. Some have become gems of our literature. Thev combined wc-i;,-iity argtimeiili with "■re''eful expression. The arguments are forgotten, but their litc'.ary form has won for Ihe writers a i'l'.ine not •-•unfilled to the country of their origin or to the language of its people. , . The Wrecks, and iiouutns had lueir pamphlets. Mediaeval controversy was conducted with their aid. The Kci'ormalion' doctrines circulated, through this medium. Luther was mi effective pamphleteer. John Knox blew las famous "Blast Against Women" on a pamphlet. ■The greatest of all pamphlets, is the "Areopagitica," by Milton. When Ins wile left him lie discussed '•Divorce" in pamphlet form. Cromwell's latter days were darkened with pamphlets bearing such titles as "Killing No Murder." Tho French Revolution produced myriads of : thorn. Carlylc got in some powerful | criticism through his "Latter Day t'am- ■ phlete." : Despite its great age and wide use, no ; one can say precisely what a pamphlet : is. For generations popular literiiuure- ; appeared in single sheets, printed on one side. Current events, ballads, folk talcs, expository tracts and indecent' rhymes— 'all were'printed under the generic iiillo of "pamphlet." Gradually "'e ienu-aino ; 1.0 mean anv brief, prose, controversial ; publication, 'and more and moro it conj Unbilled to the uiformaliion of the public ' mind and to the formation of public- ', opinion. ~ , ! It is the worthiest of the pamphlets j iiiiat survive. It would be- untrue to say ■ they arc typical. Many of the others - wore scurrilous. The fittest survive, not I merely i'rum litcra:y superiority, but i from greater decency. The others, how[over, are valuable as'a i-ellex ol tho ' Mental and moral conditions of their i time. Thoy moro accurately record tho i.Changeful currents of public feeling thau do tho bulky and laboured volumes written years afterwards. Addison, Steele, Swift, Johnson, !id not disdain to earn a living by pamphlet i writing. In later times politicians were 'exnected to have ability enough to defend themselves. Pamphleteering became I old-fashioned. Strangely enough, our ! own day is witnessing a flagrant revival. Government blatantly advertise for the j old-time pamphleteer Milder tho new ! cognomen, "publicity officer," whoso business it is to ensure that the words and ! actions of his chiefs aro given the most i widespread and favourable publicity. 1 .Such prominent examples aro having 1 pernicious effects. Every department of j imman activity is courting, publicity. • Politics, commerce and religion have I their advertising agents. The pamphlet is their favourite instrument: The comI mnnity is flooded with pamphlets, urgj ins, defending, denouncing. Practically ; all" are disßiriired by that excessive vehemence winch is the essence of polei mieal literature.

Pamphlet propaganda has palpable defects. It is invariably ox parte. r lt takes cognisance of only one aspect. Yon lmvo to find out what is being exaggerated, what is being concealed. It makes statements you cannot refute; it makes demands on'your intelligence you cannot meet. It is'a cunning mixture of fact and fiction. Under the' thimbles of assertion and contradiction (ho pea of truth may be lying. But you cannot tell which. Jn the end your support will probnblv'be. given, not to Ihe side that is best," litil to the side which has employed the most skilful verbal artist. The pamuhli't is a barrister in print. It Bland.* for plaintiff or defendant; never for truth as such. It: performs the function of a controversial cuttlefish. Itobscures more than it reveals. It presents the argued, never the academic, view. The man who strives to reach (ruth through the medium of pamphlets must prepare for strenuous mental crvmnastic*. All that is effective for ono party is focused; all that is effective for the other party is suppressed. You are permitted to study only one side of the question. And John Stuart Mill lias wisely said that "The man who known only'one side of a question does not even know that." • Crude publicity has been praetis°;l from remote antiquity. In these days it has developed into a highly organised science based on a thorough knowledge of Unman nature. Attempts riv even heiinr made to weave a philosophy around it. Certain canons' have been formulated out of a few .simple uhycholngical laws. Iteration, reiteration is the motiveforce, guaranteed to produce certain definite effects. The advertisement may relate fo a political measure or to a patent mangle. Incessant, repetition creates the suggestion that the measuro or the mangle is indispensable. ■\ "cnoration ago simple announcement was deemed sufficient, advertisement. Tod'iv advertisement is impotent unless it informs, exhorts, solicits. Even you who are scornful cf modern advertisement, vou sometimes read a clever one. It is torse amusing, ingenious. Its literary quali'tv tempts you to read the paragraph until you come to the pill. At that point you pride yourself vou stop. But even then, the paragraph has dono its 'work. The pill lingers in your mind. One day you will test its elhcacy. The pamphleteer has .studied the method of the successful adverser L'nfortunately, methods for pushing .trade mav not be so effective, for proclaiming truth. The pamphlet is inevitably lopp'ded 'It. i« issued avowedly m one party's interest. Its purpose is to ercato \ hia-" To that end opposing arguments !uv not answered; i'hev are distorted. The pamphlet reader's vi-iou is refracted, though the medium of the particular nostrumThe pamphlet plague is increasing n our midst. ■Pamphlels ure crammed into our letter boxes pamphlets are thrown ~vcr our garde:i fence, The war per.ml ■ wis s'leeiallv p>odiicl,ve o! pamphlets, l'aciii-ts and students of prophecy had ;„ rare innings. Hut even in norma ,»mes we have l<> bcc.r the burden ol n-inplilels on Sofiali.-m. Innpi'i'i'.nce. Sin»le Tax, Second Advent, and an 1111eminled host moi-e. We conscientious y «tudv the arguments favourable to each, lu-i' as we are caching conviction we '..wire Die pamphlet of the opposition ii-irlv and the conviction we ultimately ioaeti' is that, pamphlets arc a menace to the community's mental stability, and that unscrupiilousncss i< the unlailmg characteristic of the pamphleteer.- sieltliillt'llC "Age'

Rear-Admiral Sir AY. V,. tiiinili'iiimxli HiHike at thi) dedication ol tipper (.iinls<lon by Canon Granville Dn-kum. ot a wavsidii war memorial cross ot I'ortliuul stone and flint. The. main iuHcripliun on the memorial is a (imitation Imm IliUK's Inst dispatch [rani l'viniee. ami runs—"l3v lire loin,' roe.t! Ibry trod with fo much fiiilih ami with Mich devoted and tadf-saerfieing bravery we, have iirrmxl nt victory, and to-day they have their reward."

■I)'urn it u re, l ; ln»r< anil l.iiiolrniiK loin; like new when rubbed ivilh "T.W-Ul..' ]<iiii\'s.un w/md-j;rain and pattern--give a lusting polish.—Advt.