Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-11
MUSIC AND LECTURES
Make Delightful Day for Those
Gathered at Chautauqua.
WEAK SPOTS OF NATIONALISM
Pointed Out by Professor Bemis, Together
With Good Features.
PROFESSOR HOUsTON'S PLEA FOR POETRY


| CHAUTAUQUA, N. Y, July 10.-Thls was
an other perfect day at Chautauqua A gen.
tie breeze prevailed morning, afternoon and
evening, dispelling the possibility of any
one suffering from heat. The Ohio school
teachers elected officers for the ensuing
year and then departed for home this morn
ing Many of them will attend the meeting
of the National Association, which convenes
at Toronto early next week. Not few
Chautauquans will 60 to this meeting, and
the normal school work will consequently
be suspended for a few days to give them an
opportunity.
The programme to-day was very interest
ing The morning hour in the amphithea-
ter was taken up with a very enjoyable lee
ture recital by Prof L V. Flagler, of
Auburn, who was listened to by large and
appreciative audience After describing in
elegant language the principal points in the
! lives of the three eminent composers,
Mozart, Mendelssohn and Chopin, Prof.
| Flagler played selections from their works
on the big organ as follows: Mozart's over
ture to 7sDon Giovanni" Mendelssohn's
| Midsummer Nights Dream, and Chopin's
| ssFuneral March" Mrs Jennie Hall Wade
assisted, singing "Hear Ye Israel from
Elijah"
A Lecture on Nationalism.
At 2:30 Prof. E. W. Bemis, Of the Van
derbilU University, Nashville, Tenn, lee
tured on 'sNationalism' in the Hall of
Philosophy. The lecture was very interest
ing, but no new points we've advanced. The
speaker said that there is a general desire
manifested by nearly everyone to escape
from the burdens and tolls of life, and that
therefore nationalism is most attractive
and inviting theory, as it proposed to rem
edy some of the ills of the present time.
Nationalism, which is another name for
socialism, had some advantages. 1t would
do away with the waste in competition, as
for example in the distribution of milk by
independent dealers, where each man ira
verses the route of his competitor. Again,
it often happens now that a mans reward Is
out of all proportion to his services rem
dered; that some industr: :ous, capable men
receive little pay for their work while many
others are fortunate. Nationalism might
cure this, but had not yet solved the ques-
tion of fair distribution of the profits be-
tween the different classes engaged in the
manufacture of an article.
Weaknesses Of the System.
The further advantage of the Nationalist
scheme was that it inculcated high merit
in q common brotherhood among men. The
weaknesses of the system, according to the
speaker, were, first, that the motives of
production were weakened; second, that the
equality of reward was expedient; third, that
luxuries might be unduly cut off; fourth,
that the liberty would be interfered with,
and fifth, that speculation would still be
rife. He thought that every man should
have an equality of opportunity rather than
an equal share of material wealth, for in
this way every child would have a fair
show. There is great deal of environ
ment and opportunity in determining a
mans usefulness in life.
The speaker referred to the work of the
Nationalists in Massachusetts, in getting
through law permitting the cities of that
State to own their own gas works and cleo
trio light plants, and told of pleasant visit
he had made Mr.. Bellamy two years ago,
and closed his lecture by reading from Sid
ney Webb's Socialism in Europe" the ac-
count of man who objected to socialism,
and who spoke in glowing terms of the
municipal libraries, parks, waterways, in
fact, Of nearly everything that had become
municipal.
A Plea for Poetry.
At o'clock Prof W. Houston, of To-
ronto, Canada, who is librarian of the Leg
islative Library, lectured in the Hall of
Philosophy on the study of literature. His
whole lecture was practically plea Tor the
study of poetry. Enjoyment of life is a
proper thing, the speaker said, and one of
the enjoyments is the study of poetry. A
much more extensive use of poetry should
be made in the public schools, for the pur-
pose of creating a love for the beautiful in
stead of making it a means for information,
which latter is likely to produce distaste
for literature. He maintained that ones
reading should not be fragmentary, but that
a whole play should be read at time, and
not merely fragments.
The days entertainment came to a close
by an old-fashioned spelling bee in the big
amphitheater, open to everybody. Prof
McClintock, of Wells College, Aurora,
pronounced the words and many Chautau-
quans tried for the prizes, which were SO
to the best speller and So to the next best
speller.
There are now over 500 cottages on the
grounds, each of which has a little colony
varying from 5 to so, SO that some idea can
be formed of the number of people here just
now. Most of the present population is
made up of school teachers and students,
who are anxious to get in trim for effective
work in the fall Later, these will give
way to the summer visitors The gate re-
ceipts are now larger than ever before.