Evening star., 1900-08-18
SCORED BY I. NELSON PAGE
AUTHOR CRITICISEs AND SPURNS
NEW YORk'S 400"
Says Society Does Not Represent the
Real American Home Classes-
5000 With the Freaks.

A dispatch to the New York Sun from
Concord. N. H.. yesterday says: New
Hampshires old home week was brought to
close by celebration in this city today.
Church chimes played Home. Sweet
Home and all the bells of the city were
rung at sunrise and at sunset The prin-
cipal exercises were held at the fair
grounds this afternoon, where program OF
sports was followed by literary exercises
and display of fireworks this evening.
The afternoon speakers included Gov. Roi
Inns, Senators Chandler and Gallinger, the
poets, Will Carleton and ]. T. Trowbridge,
and the author, Thomas Nelson Page. The
latter made a speech that caused much
comment. He said:
II have always been struck by the sin
certify which l have found in the American.
Unfortunately for our reputation. the phase
of home life which is most frequently
brought into public notice is one which, il
it can be called home life at all, is certainly
not representative of American home life.
1t is that which is found in certain peculiar
circles of certain large cities in this coun-
try. This is the home life which is most
frequently referred to and advanced in the
public prints. possibly because it is the
most extraordinary form that domestic life
has ever taken in this country. Unhappily
for US, 1t goes abroad being constit-
ulously 1t is imagined, perhaps because 1t so
imagines itself and asserts itself, to be the
highest form of our home life. l thank
God for my part that 1t is not only not the
highest form of American life, but that II
is no part whatever of American home life.
1t is only counterfeit presentment of what
1t esteems to be form of foreign fashion
able life. 1t has not even the virtue OF
having its vices sincere.
"A preacher, and have no doubt good
preacher and good man, preached the
other day before this people or that seq
ment of them thet goes to church a ser
mon calling their attention to their duties
In plain and vigorous language for which
he has been much and justly praised in the
newspapers of the country. But the Rev.
DR.. Hamilton is the rector Of a New York
church, and the New York in which his
church is situated is not the least pro-
vincial section Of this country. 1t arro-
gates Itself to be sort Of sacred and for
hidden city within the outer city of New
York proper.
The major portion OF the congregation
which he addressed at Newport the other
day belongs to that New York, and to such
sycophants as can buy holding within its
borders; and the reverend preacher. in Or
der to make his sermon go down with his
congregation, used an argument which, in
the interest OF American civilization,
must repudiate. He told them that they
must remember that 50G0O,O00 of American
citizens had their gaze fastened upon them
and looked to them as their eXemplars. ap-
plying their energies and spending their
lives in endeavoring to emulate them. 1
know not how to characterize such nom
sense except in the plain vernacular. With
such insensate fiattery pouring into their
ears no wonder that little set of iilded imi-
tators lose their bearings, become blinded
and fall into the ditch of folly and profit
gacy.
Il make so bold as to assert that there
are not only not 50.OI0,0OO of people in this
country who sit with envious If not ador-
ing. gaze fastened upon that spectacle OF
divorced and doubly divorced men and wo-
men and their sycophants and parasites:
but that outside of their own circle there
are not 10000 people in all America who do
not reprobate and deride their arrogance.
1t Is true that their doings are chronicled
and doubtless read by millions in the week
ly journals, but so are the acts of freaks
and malefactors, including characters who
are unmentionable.
And the reverend preacher doubtless has
lived close to the sources from which
these reports have emanated that he has
become dazZled and lost hiS bearings: but
If he would go abroad. and when / say
abroad l do not mean to other countries,
but abroad in this broad land. and see the
American people in their homes, he would
find that those to whom he addressed him.
self on that Occasion were far from being
held in the esteem he stated. They mis-
take notorety for fame, braZenness for
splendor and prominence for exaltation."