International studio (25.1905)

AWtcs' <?% A'^/y

to seek these things, not for future salvation, but
for salvation here and now, that life may be helpful
and sane and happy.
* * *
"It may seem at a superficial glance that the arts
are all very well as a pastime, for the enjoyment of
the few, but can have no imperative call upon busy
men and women in active modern life. And if the
average American should be told that in his country
there was no widespread love of beauty, no popular
taste in artistic matters, he would not, I believe,


TILE FROM THE VOLKMAR KILNS

take the accusation very much to heart. He would
probably admit it, and with pride point to the won-
derful material success, the achievements in the
realm of trade and commerce, the unmatched pros-
perity and wealth. But that answer will not do.
You may lead me through the streets of the great
cities, and hll my ears with stories of uncounted
millions of money, unrivaled advance among the
nations; but that will not divert my soul from
horror at a state of society where municipal govern-
ment is a venial farce, where there is little reverence
for law, where Mammon is a real God, and where
every week there are instances of mob violence, as
revolting as any that ever stained the history of the
emperors of degenerate Rome. The soul is not
deceived. She sits at the centre of being, judging
severely this violence, this folly and crime. . .
It is a sad day for a people when their art becomes
divorced from the current of their life; when it
comes to be looked on as something precious but
unimportant, having nothing at all to do with their

social structure, their education, their political
ideals, their faith, or their daily vocations. But I
fear that we ourselves are living in just such a time.
Fine arts may be patronized even liberally, but they
have no hold on us as a people; we have no wide
feeling for them, no profound conviction of their
importance. . . .But the point I wish to
make is, that this decay in moral standards goes
hand in hand with the loss of taste. The sense of
beauty and the sense of goodness are so closely
related, that any injury to the one means an injury
to the other. The nation which cares nothing at all
for art cannot be expected to care very much for
justice or righteousness. A man who does not care
how hideous his surroundings are will not care very
much about his moral obligations. And that
national position of true greatness which many
Americans have dreamed of can never be reached;
those personal traits of dignity, honour, and kindli-
ness which many old-fashioned Americans still
retain, will be lost unless the vital need of moral
standards and esthetic ideals is recognized, and an
eSort made to secure them. The two must go hand
in hand."
We heartily endorse Mr. Bliss Carman's implied
exhortation—which is, indeed, itself an endorse-
ment of our own humble message, oft repeated.
It is worthy the serious thought, and active sym-
pathy of all true American patriots.

IN our last number we described the work of two
important "faience" firms—the Grueby Pottery
Company and the Rookwood Pottery Company.


TILE FROM THE VOLKMAR KILNS

X