Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-07-18
AMERICAN SPIRIT.
HIGHLY LAUDED BY.
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER
OPENING ADDRESS At OTTAWA
CHAUTAUQUA DELIVERED BY
DEAN MATHEWS-LOCAL ART.
lST CHARMS WITH VOCAL RE.
CiTAl.

The attendance at the Baptist AS
sembly was somewhat smaller last
night than at the usual opening chau-
tauqua lecture. However, what the
audience gathered to hear Dean
Shailer Mathews of the Chicago Uni
versity speak on "The American
Spirit" lacked in numbers was made
in enthusiasm.
The large auditorium had been
beautifully decorated with many
American flags, which were draped
around the platform. Preceding Dean
Mathews adress, Misses Vera Belle
Ham and Mildred Keeler, two of OF.
tawa's most accomplished young mu
sicians, gave musical prelude which
was greatly enjoyed. Never did these
two young women give a program
which showed their wonderful talent
to better advantage than last even
ing's performance. Miss Hams selec-
tions were of wide range and were
well suited to her voice. Miss Keel
ers playing displayed both her mar
velous technique and her depth Of
Interpretation.
Their program last evening follows
Cradle Song" .....,.. .MacFadyen
Little Boy Blue '....... .D'Harhelot
"Blackbird's Song ......... Scott
MY Heart at Thy Sweet Voice"
(fSamson and Delila"o Saint-Saens
Miss Ham.
Piano, "The Witches Dance.
........... .. Mcdowell
Miss Keelcr.
"A Spirit Flower. Campbell-Tipton
From the Land of the Sky Blue
Water" ..... ............C .Cadman
Morning" ....... ........... Speaks
Miss Ham.
At the close of the prelude Dean
Mathews was introduced to the au.
dience by John Hoff, chautauque plat
form manager Dean Mathews com
plimented the audience on their as
sembly, which was one Of the few Of
its kind in existence, and launched
into talk on the spirit of the Ameri.
can people and the American nation
which lasted for more than an hour,
saying in part:
"The community life in America has
only recently been discovered, There
is a community spirit now in atl-
letics, but few towns have anything
that resembles your possibilities In
this line. A community movement,
| it ii is to be as 1t ought to be IN
a. laboratory in which ideas are
worked ont and. more important than
ideas. the attitude of the people. We
are not governed by our reasons bat
by our likes and dislikes Public
opinion Is called common sense be-
cause nobody has It. 1t isn't opinion
and isn't held by the public. If you
can control peoples prejudices and
peoples dislikes there is nothing that
brings people together so readily. In
America we have an influx Of peoples
of all sorts of thoughts and spiritual
pedigrees.
Every now and then you will hear
what the Japanese call high collared
people, or 'highbrowed as We say
say that the American ideal Of our
people is so and So I have read ar
ticles which read as If ideas were the
only thing in the world. There are a
great many people who think they
have done something when they have
said something. It very often hap
pens that they haven't. All reforms
would be easy If it were not for folks
There have been many schemes ol
how different ones are going to make
the world happy--a harmless way AMI
painless way of making us happy
It looks good on paper, but II doesn't
work The course Of history that car
be called democracy is what you anf
have carried forward,
"AmericaniZation Is not hard ans
fast mold into which you run things
of rights to those who do not possess
them. When we speak Of American
ization' we are not talking about Yam
; Recitation Some think that Ameg
lea is melting pot into which othe
nations are poured. heated up AM
melted together and come out Ameri
, ans. don't think that Is a YER,
: happy communist plan. America |
T. not melting pot, but garden II
2 which there Is cross fertilization