Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-17
MAINE EDITORIAL COMMENT.
A Libel on Maine.


read George s. Wasson's The Green
| Shay, but we learn from reading
"Barbarisln in Maine; Study of Mr..
WassOn's Charges" written by Rollin
Lyndc HART and published in the
| January number of the New England
Magazine. that this novel is the re-
suit OF the analysis of the depravity
| or Name fishing village by IAN I'M
| commonly painstaking student of So
| cial conditions. " Mr.. Hartt, after re-
ferring to the 'shriek of disapproval'
| and the usual branding of the au-
thor as a calamity-howler" that fol-
loved the appearance of 1.-THE Green
Shay, says: meanwhile Mr.. Bliss
Ferry and Mr.. William Dean HOwells.
both vi whom know Mr.. WATSON and
the village he describes. vOuch for
his fidelity to fact. So do the men of
the life saving service, and if anybody
| understands the barbarism of GER
tain degenerate fishing villages down
in Maine they do, for they see il i'm
| action when wrecks come ashore
| Mr.. HART concludes his study as fol-
lows: Now it is Mr.. Wassons firm
| conviction that the regeneration of
| the lost fishing village (and let it be
| remembered that he isn't suggesting
the regeneration of those that aren't
lost can be accomplished by the re-
generation of its village church. He
| has written The Green Shay to show
the measureless possibilities that
| await the right man if he will devote
himself to this heroic task. THE
Green Shay is a ringing Macedonian
cry from the coast of Maine, and it
deserves hearing wherever there's
manhood enough to face an appalling
condition courageously." We do not
know Mr.. WATSON, and in this re-
spect Mr.. Bliss Perry and Mr.. Will
| liam Dean Howells have the better
| of us, nor do we know how much
| time and intelligence he put into this
"painstakins" analysis of the deprav
lily of Il Maine fishing village, but the
chances are at least even that he
wasted no more time than was nec"s-
ksary to gather certain facts regarding
an incident or series of incidents
that could be stretched and padded
into the proportions of a story that
would find Il publisher and at least
Il few readers. No one who knows
Maine thoroughly will believe for Il
moment that the conditions upon
which such emphasis is placed are
broadly representative of commune
ties, however remote they may be,
anywhere in this State. There are in
every state dark spots that should be
illuminated, but it is a libel on Maine
to say that conditions here are worse
than in other parts of New England.
AS Il matter of fact, there could prob
ably be found in the city of Boston,
the hCme of Mr.. Bliss Perry. and GER
tainly in New York. the home of Mr..
William Dean Howells. Il single block
III which there is more dcgeneracy,
more ignorance, more crime, than IS
contained in the whole State of Maine.
In the cities. however. degcneracy
and its attendant evils are so COM
mon that they are apt to pass ull-
needed, while the 'students OF So
cia. conditions" like Mr.. WATSON. who
come to Maine expecting to find an
Eden throw up their tands i'll holy
horror If they find a snake, even
when the reptile is Of a size that
would pass unnoticcd in their own
backyards at home. The hope of the
country is in the country's rural
communities: upon the farm and
country village the cities depend as
their source of supply for brain and
Drawn and that thrift and manlincss
which insure the nation place
near the head in the modern COMPETE
ton in the worlds markets and
schools the great ccnterS of industry
and thought. 1t seems to us. from
reading Mr.. IIartt's article. that the
author Of '"The Green Shay" has at
tempted to build up Il theory from Il
study of abnormal types and that in
50 doing he has an insecure founda-
ton. He may be honest in his intan
tons, but his premises were false and
therefore his conclusion is wide of
the mark.