Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-09-17
The show nj Paris.

Now that the State Exposition at
Paris is about the same As closed,
a SLIGHT review Of the field may
be indulged in. Many of the manu-
facinrers OF the United States have made
credi'able display, and the reward Of
tn il Efforts is seen in the ,rge list of med
AIS and diplomas given to this country.
The Tribune saws that in agricultural i'm
plemouts We ttke all the highest prizes,
al the second, ard majority of the third.
In machinery, scales. instruments of
precision, beer, and pallo organs we rank
first In dental instruments we, as usual,
pass al competitors. In hooks we take
three of The five prizes; in gold work,
street cars. printing presses. sewing ma
chimes. canned goods, the highest honors
In short, there IS hardly an exhibit Of any
kind bv a reputable firm which has not
commanded success. and we venture to
predict that every firm that has thus adver-
lised its, Ii over the world will fluid that it
has secured propoltionate increase OF
custom.
Bu, the fact remains hat our exhibit as
"A whole was totally unworthy our position
"a one of the first four civilized nations;
and that the fault il due tot the wlful blind
ness of the Il verument TO The imp ,rtance
OF our proper representation NJ Try #
our best manufacturers refused 10 make
a1v exhibit at Al so shout was the period
allowed ly the incxcusahle delay of Com
gress aud those who did make one did it
al the disadvantage of great and unneces-
sary on'ly, hurried work and cramped
space in the buildings.
We hear many sneers at our inferiorltv
in every display which called for know
edge of art of the power of artistic
production. For this the Govern.
ment is certainly not to blame. Nor is
anybody else, for that matter. 1t is half
a century too soon TO look for any revea-
ton Of high artistic power among us. To
each man his work. Our work as n ma.
ton so far has been to open continent of
unbroken forest. and to compel machinery
to take the place of too scant labor. We
have done this work, and done it well
Until the present generation, art was al
most an unknown element in our civilzt-
ton. Not one bome-bred American in a
thousand has ever seen really great pic
ture or statue; the European is born and
reared In the constant presence of all the
beauty which past ages have bequea,hed
to the world Oar artists, it is COM
planned. have, as a ruiz. sent to this EXhi-
biion only imitatons of French and Ger
man schools. WY of course we are not
original men are like children; they must
go through the age Of serviIe imitation Of
their elders before they feel The stirring of
Independent ere aive power within them
selves. A few of our artists have shown
that they have eyes 10 see the material at
home and the imagination to use IT, and
they have won at the praise which was
given u in this department at the Exit
bition. Art will ,ke care of itself in ihi,
c'ur'rv. The American has as sensitive
nervous organization Is even his Italian
rto.h his eye j. ~ keen, his hand as
drlt: thc dramatic sense is net lacking.
. e~ cuu'ioee him that AIT * as nrcessa-
rlly par Of HE io him as agriculture or
machinery. AID his energy and devotion
in her s"rylc" wi be as great
Our deficiency in this branch of rapre
senta'ion a, Paris is no disgrace 10 us
Tn" disgrace lies in the fact that no hint
was given ol our magnitude as a nation.
OF our ineXhaustihle agricultural or min.
J. frd resources, of our national p ogres. in
SCIENCE. or the arts Of war or peace. The
, country which was meant to he and il the
home oil all the world, gave no sign OF it.