The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-03-26

-AAGO1 ~. 4OOO.
b4r, is truly civilized. Such man was
Jesus Christ. Can you name another
Just brief study of any of the great
men of the past or present will show
that each and every one of them lacks
something of being civilized. One says,
"The greatest power to myself, and all
the glory" Another breaches, "Art
for arts sake" but signs his name to
all his productions. In fact, all great
men or women who did not, or do not
think just little bit more of them
selves than of anybody or anything
else, were or are some kind of fanatic.
In plain language, they were or are
"bughouse" about the subject in which
their personalities are lost. / know
there are lots of self-sacrificing men
and women who really consider every
human being brother or sister; but
i'll none of them is there evidence of
the broad mindedness, the ability to
refrain from letting the savage streak
in them come to the surface, which ell
titled tie Man from Galilee to the
honor of being called civilized, if moth
ing more.
But enough of this M moralizing
When we say the ancient Greeks, or
any other people, had attained high
degree of civilization, we have in mind
certain pictures, statues, literature and
architecture OF that peopls. The form
of government being secondary con-
sideration. believe our critic spoke
of governments which were misgov-
ernments, awhile ago. Well, that is
what they were anyway. Then, the
civilization of a people is judged by
what their brains and hands have pro-
duced, and when we talk about produc-
ing, what's the matter with the United
States? This ancient literature is all
right to read to kids; but Webster's
dictionary contains moro wisdom than
all of it; and as to entertainme ent-well
any normal American finds more fun
in "Huckleberry Finn" or "Life on the
Mississippi" than in any of your thou
sand-year-old fables. l haven't time
! to mention all of the good literature
that was produced in the United States;
but this circle has turned out lot of
literature that was far ahead of any of
your classics.
haven't seen many of the pictures
produced by the Ancients, but Buster
Browns pictures surpass any of the
Egyptian pictures that / have seen
and the Gibson girl suits me better
than any Of the other old portraits
! that I have seen. But architecture
There is where we shine. There never
was, nor is there now, anything to com
pare with our sky-scrapers-that Is il
height, comfort, convenience, and util.
ity count for anything. And if a few
of our millionaires had the pyramid
hobby instead of having mania fol
endowing colleges, libraries, hospitals
aud the like, we would have pyramids
in this country that would make those
of Egypt appear like muskrat houses
in comparison.
Now, we know that pictures, ST atues
and other works of art represent tn,
ability or genius of few individuals
land not of the whole of mankind. Ii
fact, these works Of art are merel,
rungs in the ladder that the common
people will use centuries after thei
authors are dead, and in many case
/ forgotten, to assist them in attainin,
the ultimate goal of the whole human
family, civilization. OF ali the civil
+ ization agents, science and religion
r have contributed most to the civiliza
, tion of man. Both of them have thei
. root in the superstitions of primitiv
, man. Astronomy is the offspring o
! astrol0gy. Chemistry is the result o
) alchemy. Modern religions are the re
f suit of primitive mans fear of the un
] known. Altho science and religion
: have fought many bloody battles, the
a are more nearly on an equal footin
n today than ever before. 1t is not fo
o me to say whether either one will eve
n reign alone.
We teach animals to obey US b
o causing them pleasure or pain, an
d man-until he became more man tina
9 animal-was subjected to the sam
o treatment by his fellows to "civilize
g him. We have nearly outgrown thi