The Portland daily press., 1900-11-26

selves visit this country they see only she
surface conditions and not that which Is
beneath the surfacs.
Americans are materialistio to large
degree, so Dr. Mabie believes. This Is a
great country for money making and
there IL none better In the world. Men
are deeply engrosssd IN the occupation Of
making money but most OF them have
some ideal in view when they get the
dollars. 1t is great thing 60 be able to
say OF our country that we feed and
cIothe and house more people In
mfort In America than does any other
nation In the world but it Is not this
alone which makes q country great. IL
Is the kind Of men q country produces,
the kind OF citizens it develops which In
dicates Its strength. Dr. Mabie con-
trasted the interest which is now felt By
the world In the fallen cities Of Carthage
aud Jerusalem. One was ftsateriaffstic
ana nothing else but In the other the
ideal was the soul and spirit. IL y not
enough to make men comfortable, 20
be great we must strive to make men
work for some high Ideal and when our
history comes 10 be written years from
now II this IL Accomplished. to the
world which follows us the history VIII
be interesting.
Dr, MabIe said that some people were
silly enough to believe that American life
was not as interesting rs that OF the
Continental countries us there not
more dramatic interest here In working
out the great human problem. in our at.
tempts to Iberate AMI build up
mann" DIR. Mabie said that be sometimes
49, 4ne n RaV n
sorship exercised In regard to gaining
wealth. Some men attain 1t and then
don know what to 90 with Ii. Rome
was q nation CT gigantic material power
but it had no soul when II held all the
world In its hand 10 did not know what
to do with 1t
Dr. Mabts spoke of the belief OF some
people that there was nothing romantic
or interesting in American history. lie
did not entertain this idea. 10 HIS mind
there is nothing so throbbing with ro-
nance. so thrilling or so laden with pos
siblities for the poet, the artist or the nov
eIist as our own history. The speaker en-
Iarged upon this idea and showed That
throughout all OF it's history America has
bean seeking the ideal, seeking to uplffs
mankind, suffering for some religious
IDEAL ma king great sacrifices for princi-
piles, always striving for some noble pur-
pose. Americans are materfalistic but
when they nave ODtalue0 Woaitn tney ave
not satisfied but seek something better.
Tney endow educational institutions, en-
deavor to improve themselves by travel
and give others opportunities to reach a
higher plane In many ways. He then
spoke of our form OF governments which
is idealikm in the extreme. Has there
ever been more sublime, idealistic au-
dacity manifested In the history Of the
world than that OF giving into the hands
of the whole people the government OF
themselves AT the bottom OF this Ii
sublime emooracy-democracy based on
the belief that there is something divine
in every human being. He dwelt upon
the story OF Brook Farm as an example
of American iCiealism and then IN speak
ing OF our art and literature said that
in all 1t could be seen that Americans
are dreamers and are dominated by nigh
aspirations. Many people confound ideal
ism in art with idealism in character.
"If bad to choose between country
with this iGeaiism in art where the wom-
en- bear burdens and work like beasts in
the fields and a country where the art
may be still inferior l would take the
country where tbs women and children
are cared for and are net given up to the
worship OF the dollar"
DIR. Mabie is charming speaker and
told many stories which well Illus trated
the points he was making regarding
American characteristics.