Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-25

! ID lleGely what seems [
US the elimination. 1t may be only am
other step in economic progression
The history of industry has been his
| tory of concentration and the trust is
nothing more nor less than the natural
| result of that concentration yet this
| process of industrial combination has
not only left civilization intact but has
given it an opportunity, in some slight
degree, to advance. Is our next step to
plung us into destruction?
| In the case of railroads, car lines, gas
companies, and electric plants it has
| long ago, been admitted that monopoly
and not competition furnishes the best
service at the lowest rates. Ii monop-
oily and trusts are to prove our rain
| they have already got fine hold.
| During recent years, great CONNER
cial combinations have been coming
more and more under the control Of le-
gal restriction. One of the most sig
nificant events in the economic history
OF the world occurred only a few
months ago in the passing of n law es-
| tabliShing the new department of COM
merce and labor. The significance of
this act on the bearing on the trust
question has as yet hardly been real
| lied. 1t is not the suppression of in
! dustrial combinations nor does it in any
way interfere with their legitimate
growth. 1t does guarantee that grow N
shall be legitimate, and that it shall
not interfere with the advancement of
the American commonwealth. Does it
eound like the dieing wall of a people
on the verge of destruction?
IN II DC tho tan1pn-
cy of modern times. And if industrial
combinations natural end be in monop-
oily let it come Without conservatism
the mind of the nation would doubtless
become unbalanced. But in our con-
scrvatism let us consider the future as
well as the present, and take care that
we are not left behind in the onward
march of civilization.
Miss Betsey Adams Nickels had
very interesting subject in Miracle
Plays" and she handled It in n way
that held the closest attention of her
audience throughout. it was Il fine
article. finely delivered and one Of the
most pleasing of the forenoon for the
audience. She said in part:
The mysterious or miracle plays OF
which the modern drama is the out
growth originated in the church. The
priests, in order to make religion at
| t1active and effective, gave dramatic
rendcrings of tleir service. Inc peo-
pie demanded vividness, action and
| beauty if their hearts were to be moved
| by the realities of religion. Gradually
these servio cs crept out from the church
control and began their career before
| the world. These public exhibitions at
| tractcd immense crowds Of people and
were enacted with entire seriousness.
| In order to give an idea Of the varied
| stories let us consider Il few of them.
| The building of the ark is the comic
| s, enc. Noah, having built the ark ac-
| coIding to the command of God, pre-
| parcs to enter with all his family. His
| wife. who has rather Il ShreWish dispo-
sition utterly refuses to accompany
him After many harsh words are eX-
| changed he leaves her to her fate. she,
however, after the waters reach the
| very house door, comes bounding to the
ark in terror of her life. Then, after
giving her q logging. Noah turns to the
audience saying: 'Ye men that have
| wives. while they are young, II ye love
| your life cEaStiSe them. On the other
hand the story of Abraham and Isaac
gives us an example Of the most heart
rending pathos. The childish trust
| fulnoss and obedience of the boy are
| effectively brought out. The great
grief and submission of the father are
| patECtiCal.y shown. In spite of the fact
| that comedy grew rapidly in these plays
ana that rude inelcganCG often married
| the sacred subject these people had
| great reverence for Christ. On the pa
ccants where heavenly things We're set
| forth there was no intention of anything
but the most profound respect. admila-
ton and worship. No matter how
crude the poetry and acting may have
been it was intense throughout. The
miracle plays have for their funda
mental material the Christian faith
crudcly comprehcnded but with realis-
tic and personal representations. Ger
tainly no plays ever had greater
theme. They depict the complete his
tory of creation, the fail of man and the
passion of Christ. From a literary
standpoint they are inuced valuable for
they are store houses of material for the
phiologist. Although the la;TuaGe is
inaquate for the thought, which was so
vast. so Subilfnc, so nlPH dDo\e ttle Ill" =
lures OF those primitive people, yet it
appealed to their ideal selves, worked
upon their imagination, gave them
highc~ and nobler thoughts and laid the
foundations for the wonderful prOduC-
tions that followed in the form of the
English drama. 1t is said that they
made England Il nation of actors, Il ma
ton of theatre lovers, Il nation with
high dramatic ideals and Il people who
demand carnestness and largeness OF
life"
Fred Milton Allen chose Socialism
for his theme and defended 1t In q
reasonable, interesting manner. His ar
gumcnts were excellent and his delivery
earnest and effective. He made it 4
good subject and produced from it q
, fine article. He said in part:
: THE American ideal is freedom. An
| independence personal as well as ma
tional But our social progress has
l produced n complicated system Of in
terdependent classes of Which labor
} and capital form two conflicting forces
; Reduction of friction between these two
forces form the greatest problem of to-