The Detroit times., 1917-06-06
See Straight
NJ E ADDINGroN BRUCE
Author OF The Riddle OF Person
ality." 'rSsychOloEY aud
PArssthoOd." etc.

The other evening | attended
performance given by members OF
the ~ Workshop. that unique labora-
tory Of the drama established By
Professor George p Baker az Har-
ward university. The performance
that evening was OF a play called
The Stranger" dealing with the ex-
periences Of an American girl in
Hungary.
This girl was beloved by a Hun.
garian noblemsn OF some admirable
qualities and some traits not so ad.
| mirable Herself loving the noble
man. the girl could see his defects
as clearly as his virtues Wherefore
she was moved 10 exclsim. in a mo
ment OF indignation at his brutal
treatment OF peasant:
The trouble with you. count. is
that you can't see straight. You
can only see down"
Quite plainly the audience appre-
ciated this rebuke as applied 20 the
| Hungarian nobleman But. after all.
one does not have 10 go 10 the the
alter and 20 a stage in Hungary 10
/ find people Of whom Il, may truth.
fully be said that they can only see
down"
Such people are around us We
hnd them everywhere. bloated with
money. social prestige. or learning
Brought into contact with other PEG.
pie. their habit OF seeing down
comes unpleasanuy INTO evidence al
once.
Equally evident is their inability
10 see straight
II they are wealthy they behave as
tho the gold they have inherited or
amassed has a magic quality giving
them some intrinsic superiority 10
other people
n they come OF an "old family
their actions similarity indicate that
they regard themselves as beings Of
finer type than the generality Of
men
And II. being neither wealthy nor
OF fancy pedigree. they have man.
aged 10 cram into their minds more
Learning than other people possess,
they again assume that they are Of
an infinitely superior strain.
Happily, not all wealthy. socially
prominent. or learned people act in
this way But an enormous proper
ton OF the wealthy socially prom
inent, and learned do thus act
And. still more amazing. an enor-
nous proportion OF those treated as
interiors make II painfully apparent
that they accept the stigma OF In
feriority pu, upon them.
They kow-tow and knuekle 10 the
selistyled Supporters" even II IN
secret they arc filed with bitterness
toward them. Whereby the "supe
riors" are confirmed IN their foolish
habit OF never trying 70 see any
where except down
The fact Is that there Is mental
blindness on both sides.
Both forget that wealth, social
standing. and learning are only &C
cidentals and cannot possibly fur
nish any sound standard Of true hui
man worth
Both forget that IN the last anal
ysis II Is not what a man has or
knows but what he Is and does that
ought 10 count for or against him
Character is indeed tho essential
thing by which 70 Judge him.
Until men universally appreciate
this. civilization must needs lag In
the attaining OF its ideals. Social
conflicts Will continue. governments
and nations will be imperiled. per
soual peace and happiness win ever
Re uncertain.
For the habit OF seeing down"
creates conditions that at one er-
IRENE bring despotlsm and at the
other revolution. This Il a lesson
that all history teaches.
One and all we must train our
selves 10 see straight. One and all
We must train ourselves really 10
appreciate our brotherhood with 9th
or men. Else we may as well ahan
don forthwith our dreams OF true so
oial progress.