The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-10-21
M. 10 COURSE.
Miss Edgarion's Lecture ON popular
Shams,''

Ihe second entertainment in the NJ. L. A.
course was given at City Hall last evening, by
Miss Lillian S. Edgarton. The subject of her
lecture was Popular Shams," and it was treat
ed In very careful and finished manner The
speaker, Miss Edgarton, is a fine looking lady,
ana as she stepped upon the platform she re.
ceiVed hearty applause. Her voice is clear, but
at times she spoke too low to be distinctly IN
derstood The hall was but about two-thirds
hlied, out the audience was very attentive, and
Ire lecturer held their attention throughout
The enjoyment of the evening was much
marred by late Corners, who, as usual, had re-
served seats in front and disturbed the whole
audience in reaching them. This nuisance
ought to be stopped in some way
President Coolidge introduced Miss Edgar
ton, who after pausing moment, stepped to
one side of the desk and began the prelimna-
ries of her lecture in slow and measured
manner She began by speaking of shams and
frauds of the present day. They are SO COM
mon that they excite but little attention. Peo-
Pile are continually losing confidence in others,
and old friends become estranged by such tran
sactions. In fact things were not as they We're
or as they should be. The lower classes are
striving to live as the middle classes do, and
the middle classes as the higher class, and the
consequence is sham and fraud. She stated
that she did not wish to answer the question,
"whither are we drifting" but to assume thu
role of the artist and draw few sketches of
life as it is, that the people could see the wrong
and turn from it. Society is systematic
sham, affecting all classes, though in differ
ent ways There is an established regularity
to this affair and it is conducted on general
principles A glance was then taken at the
world to-day and two hundred years ago. But
the comparison as presented was not at all
pleasant. Now we have steam and thousand
inventions which were not thought OF then; sla-
very is now done away with, and the lower
classes are no longer crushed to the earth.
What can be finer than the outside view of
civilization, but We are compelled to take an
inside view of the picture, which we are sorry
to say is not so inviting. The external aspect
is fattering, but what of the internal. Here
we see the fierce, untamed natures OF men. Our
streets are swarmed every day with Modocs
and cannibals in fine apparel
Capt. Kidd is dead and his piratieal crew can
no longer roam over the sea, but are there not
still Capt. Kldds on the sea of literature. Dick
Turpin no longer lies in wait for his victims by
the roadside, but are not the men who smash
up our baggage on the railroad car and rob it
of vauables Just as bad? Are they not canui-
balls in sleeps clothing? There are South Sea
Islanders to be seen on the most fashionable
streets every day, and Satan himself can be
seen any day picking his teeth in the Fifth
Avenue Hotel He is finely dressed and we do
not recognize him. We all understand that
Cain could not kill Abel on Central Park with
out running chance of an arrest, but Cain
still stalks abroad with the mark on his fore
head covered with flowing locks of hair.
The fundamental sham appears at best to be
what it is best he should be. Honesty is its
own reward, is the maxim OF many. All are
deceivers, some gay ones and some very bad
ones. This is an age of hiding and mistrust;
an inclination to hide the actions OF men from
the eyes of the world. This state OF affairs is
noticeable among the clergy: The sacred call
ing is too much mixed up with worldly affairs.
They mix up in all kinds of company, and all
is done in the name of the Lord. The only ex-
cuse for their existence is that people have
souls to save. They wear several coats of de-
ceit, but they must stand in their true light one
day. Truth is great and must prevail. But
you must be careful, all are not shams and
pckpockets If not careful you may attack
the wrong man.
We are nation Of dollar makers and dollar
worshippers. Money is the great sham of the
age. We would turn the world into dollar
store Money not only makes the mare CO. but
it also makes the world go. The wide awake,
sharp business men avoid public life, and thus
the class of Office seekers have the control of
the government today just the class that is
not wanted in power are always in search of an
office, and the men who are needed in places of
trust and responsibility cannot be urged to ac-
cept such positions.
This state of affairs all comes from the love
of money. The management of public affairs
is becoming sham. and public Indignation at
such management is almost as regular as the
outrage and about as Shammy The Ameri-
cans beat the world for building shams. They
erect monuments to enterprise and business
succRSS hut mOnumantS truth and VIrtua
are not so plenty. One of our greatest shams
is in our schools. Our scholars are taught ad-
vancement only and they care for nothing else.
The greatest sham on earth is a man who
comes into the world and becomes rich out of
it, and leaves nothing to make the world bet
ter when he dies. Such man is robber, and
he commits a crime against God and man.
The ever watchtul eye of justice is on the look
out for such men, and they must one. day ans
wer for their deeds. The men of to-day do not
ask, is such thing right? but, what will the
public say of it? God only expects honest eff
fort of each of as. but do we all give it? Hon
esty is the beginning and the end of all nation
al strength. But in the nursery will be found
the garden of sham. Here you find sickly
Children who are SO because society will not
allow them to play as Other children do. They
are loaded down with jewelry before they are
scarcely able to walk When we consider this
fact is it to be wondered at that woman is
called a sham. But this should not be so as
the next generatlOn depends upon Inc women
of to-day for their strength. The lecturer then
drew the picture of the mother with one or two
narriageable daughters on her way to fash
ionable watering place, to find a market for
the daughters. The picture is an old one, but
it lost none of its truthfulnes at her hands.
But all mothers are not such as have been
shown. We have seen a mother bring up a
family in the very best manner, but there
would be hayward son who would bring sor.
row to her aged head. The speaker next spoke
Od hu
justice would see through the best planned
sham. There are shams in every walk of life
Be what you should be is what truth says to
you. Truth alone makes life worth living for,
and it alone gives mp hope after death.