Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 16.pdf/335

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The Green Bag.

order of man will pass away. Tnere shall come a new humanity. Notice the passing of patriotism, which is merely an expanded egotism. Notice the new state of diplomacy. All this points to the new era when the social spirit will prevail; when the selfish, the egotistic motive will be gone. The business man will wish to share his successes with the rest of .society.' • ' We hate to differ with Prof. Triggs, but his remarks about patriotism are reported incorrectly, or there is some kink in his definition. If patriotism is expanded egotism, what is Triggs? If Triggs and patriotism are one, how can patriotism 'pass?' We are ready to be lieve in the 'new humanity ' and to welcome it; but what is new humanity without the same old and ever young Triggs? Insisting that Triggs must and ever shall be preserved, let us cast an admiring glance at the business man of the future. He will share his successes with the rest of society? It would be Philistine to call for a bill of particulars. The new man will divide his profits among his customers or among the whole community. The individual dividends may not be large, but they will show a kindly spirit in the divider. Presumably, the customers or the ccmmunity will consent to be assessed in case the business loses money. Let altruism have its perfect work. It may be hard for a thoroughly new busi ness man to resist the temptation to give his goods away. "As for Triggs and all other altruistic professors of the Chicago University, they will pay Dr. Harper for the privilege of working for him. Already some of them delight to prepare for the new order by giving themselves away."

The foregoing appeared in the New York Sun of March 2, 1903. On April 6, another article was published commenting in a humorous and satirical fashion on an offer made Prof. Triggs to act as an advance agent for a theatrical representation of Romeo and Juliet. On April 10, the follow ing appeared: "To men of good liver, life is full of happiness. To us it is, and long has been one of the greatest of these felicities to guide amateurs to Prof. Oscar Lovell Triggs, a true museum piece, and the choicest treasure in Dr. Harper's collection. We cannot boast of having dis covered Triggs. for he was born great, discovered him self early, and has a just appreciation of the value of this discovery. But in our humble way we have helped com municate him to the world, assisted in his effusion and diffusion, and beckoned reverent millions to his shrine. We have joyed to see him perform three heroic labors, viz.: 1. ' Knock out ' old Whittier and Longfellow. 2. ' Do up' the hymn writers. 3. Name his baby a< the end of a year of solemn con sultation. "But these achievements are only the bright begin ning of a long course of halcyon and vociferous pro ceedings. As yet, 1'rof. Triggs is but in the bud. He came near blossoming the other day, and the English drama would have blossomed with him. A firm which is to produce ' Romeo and Juliet ' offered him $700 a week to be the ' advance agent ' of the show and to •work up enthusiasm by lecturing.' Prof. Triggs was compelled to decline the offer, but the terms of his re fusal show that it is not absolute, and that ' some day,'

as the melodramas cry, he will illuminate Shakespeare, dramatic literature and the public mind : .... If these plays are to be put upon the stage, they must be rewritten : and Prof. Triggs is the destined rewriter, amender and reviser. The sapless, old-fashioned rhet oric must be cut down. The fresh and natural contem porary tongue, pure Triggsian, must be substituted. For example, who can read with patience these tinsel lines? "'Madam, an hour before the worshipped sun 'Peered forth the golden window of the east, 'A troubled mind drove me to walk abroad.' "This must be translated into Triggsian, somewhat like this: "'Say, lady, an hour before sunup I was feeling wormy, and took a walk around the block.' "Here is more Shakesperian rubbish: "'O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright.' 'Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night, 'As a rich jewel in an Kthiop's ear.' "How much more forcible in clear, concise Triggsian: "'Say, she's a peach! a bird!'" "Hear 'Pop' Capulet drivel: "'Go to, go to, 'You are a saucy boy.' "In the Oscar dialect this is this: "'Come off, kid! You're too fresh.' "Compare the dropsical hifalutin: "'Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day, 'Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain's tops.' —with the time-saving Triggsian version: "'I hear the milkman.' "The downfall of Shakespeare is only a question of time and Triggs. Carnegie ought to endow Triggs. Oscar Hammerstein ought to dramatize Triggs. Triggs is the hope, and soon will be the pride of the stage. He ought to have not less than $7,000 a week for fiftythree weeks a year."

And the New York Supreme Court held that these were not libelous! Poor Triggs! LOTTERY. (TRANSPORTATION OF TICKETS—CRIMI NAL OFFENSE — CONSTRUCTION OF STATUTE.) UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA In United States v. Whelpley, 135 Fed eral Reporter 616, defendant was charged with violating Act March 2, 1895, c. 191. 28 Stat. 963, (U. S. Сотр. St. 1901, 3178), pro viding that any person who shall cause to be brought within the United States from abroad, for the purpose of disposing of the same, or carrying "from one State to an other" in the United States, any ticket of a lottery, shall be punished, etc. The defend ant was charged with having shipped from Dayton, Virginia, to the District of Colum bia, certain lottery tickets, for the purpose of disposing thereof, and the question was whether the District of Columbia was a "State" within the statute.