Nappanee High School - Napanet Yearbook (Nappanee, IN)

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Till : (tKRMAN JiAiNGl By LESTI 11E many dialects spoken by the t ribcs and confederacies of ancient Ger- many are all derivatives from one branch of the Aryan or Indo-German-lr family of languages which separated from the parent stock at a very early period. The co-existence of the two branches of Teutonic speech known as hlgh-Gerinan and low-German can lx traced back to the seventh century. There never was one Teutonic language which separated into two divisions. The various dialects of high and low German passed through stages of grammatical development. The high-German branch has been the literary language of Germany since the days of Charlemagne (798-814). There were three periods of high-German the old high-German extending from the seventh century to the twelfth century; the middle high-German dating from the twelfth century to the reformation, about lflth century: and the new high-German from Luther's time to our day. The translation of the Bible by Luther into high-German decided the fate of low-German. When Christianity was diffused among the German trilies it had the effect of changing their literature. Instead of the heroic songs and “lx ast epics” (tiikih-kpos) of a sanguinary paganism, there were scriptural paraphrases, legends, and hymns. By degrees the rhythmical arrangement of the Latin versification, common in the early periods of the middle ages, took the place of the ancient alliteration. Latin became the language of the court, the church and the law. under the Saxon emperors, while German was left to the common people. During tin rusades (1090-1290) under the rule of the lioh-enstauffen line of accomplished emperors, the ideas, which were diffused. l oth in regard to literature and language, had the effect of reviving the use and cultivation of the vernacular dialects, among which the Swabian, as the language of the court, soon acquired a marked preponderance over the others. I Hiring the 13tli and 14th centuries, in that age of chivalry and romance, the art of song was cherished by princes and nobles, many of whom belonged to the order of Minne-sanger. or singers of love, and composed In tlie Swabian or high-German dialect. The subjects chielly selected by both courtly and popular singers were based on the legendary lore of Charlemagne and bis paladins. and king Arthur and his knights, and of the Holy Grail. It is to this period that we must refer the Xibclungcn Lied and Gudrun. which rank as the greatest treasuresof German national literature. The period which succeeded the decline of chivalry, was marked by a t borough neglect, among tlit higher classes, of national literature. Thus it AGE ANI) LlTEUATI’RK •R WEBER fell Into the hands of the common people, to tin disorganization of all principles of Grammar. But to this age belongs the mass of the Volkslleder or national ballads, in which Germany is especially rich. The close of the Kith century was prolific in rhyming historical chronicles, in Kit I res on the clergy, and in theological writings for and against the tottering power of the Homisli church. The writings of Luther and other reformers were the most important events in the history of German literature from the close of the 15th to the middle of the lHth century. Luther not only addressed himself to the minds of his countrymen by his polemical writings, but also by those noble hymns, which, since his day have constituted one of the greatest treasures of the kind. The efforts of the devout reformers were followed by a period of literary degeneration which is, in a great measure, ascribed to the effect of the Thirty Years War U118-104K). It was not till in the 17lh century, when .1. ('. Gotts-died succeeded in his Grit leal Art of Poetry, in awakening a better taste. With the names of Klo|istock. leasing and Wieland U gan the brilliant e|»och of modem German literature. Kopstock's poems and his odes reached the tender piety of the old reformers and were thoroughly German in their spirit that they at once met with an enthusiastic response in the hearts of the people, while Lessing's tragedv Minna von Hamhelm and his drama Nathan der Weise may lie said to have created anew the dramatic art in Germany. Wieland was the complete antithesis of Klopstock. lie founded a new style, like his two great contemporaries, and gave a graceful flexibility t- German diction, which it had never before been made to assume. The influence exerted on German literature by these three writers, who may Ik regarded as its regenerators, was soon appreciable in all branches of knowledge. In poetry and belles-lettres the name of Goethe, who lived from 1749 t 1 32 is renowned, lie belonged to the school, known as the Sturm-und-Drang period. He had lieen proceeded in this school by Herder: its orginator whoso philosophical critiques of foreign and German literature contributed materially to the complete revolution, which ushered in the modern period of German poetry. The Sturm-und-Drang period closed with Schiller His early works. The Bobbers. Fiesco and Don Carlos threw the whole German people Into a frenzy of excitement. His later dramatic works, if not so exciting as these, give 13

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losses of past strikes will act as a warning in tlie future tobotli employed and employer, and that in Uie end the results of union will Ih secured without the necessity of having recourse to arbitrament of force either in strikes or in lockouts. Yet, there are many and serious evils that can beset against the uses which have just lieen mentioned. Some unions do not like the use of special or su-|H-rior ability by some of their members, claiming that it is an injustice to some other members of the union, that one should get more pay or win a higher position: in many instances they set themselves against any elevation of standard lalx r and in this way act as an effective Iwr to progress in their class. In some cases, strikes are determined upon by a union when the conditions of the market make success an impossibility. In some limited and skilled trades, far higher wages are demanded for a time than the value of the lal or justifies, and tills in the end will check the production along that line anti probably force the industry to seek a new location, the same thing has resulted from the obnoxious demands for fewer hours, and their restrictions on the manner of working. Hut this is not all. There is still another and more serious class of objections to these unions, there can be no doubt but that they create and foster a spirit of antagonism between employer and employed. The union believes itself to In constantly on the defensive and at last comes to suspect every move which the employer makes, and to put some sinister Interpretation upon every action which he may make. The special interest of the trade involved is too often the only object cared for and for its supposed benefit narrow, selfish and unjust measures are enacted against the employer. The trades become Isolated from each other, one fences in against incursion upon its own peculiar territory, and tries, by limiting the numlierof apprentices, by enforcing terms of service which art? objectionahie and other coercive methods, to remain a close monopolist corporation. It is not necessary to point out the general effect on the laboring class, of such an injurious jKtlicy and what a complete subordination it implies of the general well-being to the desired prosperity of a small and selfish number. In some places the practice of compulsion lias become a terrorism and crime. One example will lie sufficient to si tow the unjustness of their methods of procedure. For this we will take Instances from a strike in our own country, that of 1N77, of the employes of the principal railroads, the Baltimore Ohio, the Pennsylvania, the Erie, the New York Central and their western branches. The principal cause was a cut in wages which affected hut a few of the workmen, and then many miners went on a strike out of sympathy for tlie railroad employes. At a set time the junctions and principal |K»ints of the roads were seized. Freight t rattle was wholly suspended and passenger and mail service was greatly impeded. When new employes went to work the militia hud to ! e called out to protect them. In Pittsburg there wasa bloody riot. in this city a great part of the militia sympathized with the strikers and refused to tire upon them. The Philadelphia militia was besieged by a large and furious mob, in a roundhouse: the mob finally drove them out, by setting tire to oil cars and pushing them against the roundhouse. In making their escape four members were killed. Then I’nited States troo| s were sent into Pennsylvania. Maryland and West Virginia. When faced by I'nlted States troops, the mob gave, way without bloodshed. At Chicago nineteen were killed, at Baltimore nine were killed, and at Beading while endeavoring to recapture a train, the soldiers were assailed with bricks and stones and finally pistol shots, then the soldiers replied with volley from their muskets: only fifty of the two hundred fifty-three soldiers escaped Ixdng injured, w hile eleven strikers were killed and sixty were more or less seriously injured. Machine shops, warehouses and two thousand freight cars were pillaged or burned. The firemen were threatened with death if they endeavored to put out the fires: within twenty-four hours sixteen hundred cars and one hundred twenty-six locomotives were destroyed. The loss of property alone exceeded ten millions of dollars, one hundred thousand men took part in the movement and and had in their power between six and seven thousand miles of railway. This strike lasted for fourteen days after which tin men all returned to work. We can now see that although some features of the unions tend toward the !x‘tterment of the employed class and although the object Is legitimate their methods of attaining their objects are very often wrong and selfish, and instead of narrowing the breach between employer and employed, widen it.

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evidence of a more matured taste, while some of his ballads and lyrics are unrivalled. In the poetry of the 19th century, noble representatives are found in the so-called Vaterlandsdichter. Among these we may instance Theodore Koerner and Arndt, whose spirited patriotic songs are intimately associated with the war of 181.’t against Napoleon in which Koerner fell gloriously righting. F. Rueckert and L. Uhland lielong to thisschool. The former is more especially noted for his translations from the oriental languages, and the latter for his exquisite romances and ballads. The greatest name of this school is that of Heinrich Heine, who almost ranks with Goethe and Schiller in poetic power. There are many other writers who are highly esteemed in their native country. Of late years the tendency of the German mind has been rather to science than fiction. In conclusion it may is said that among the German people, we find some of the greatest astronomers, physicians, mathematicians, musicians, historians and biographers, who by their labors have enriched the science of the world and at the same time enhanced the literary and scientific glory of their own country. Modern American Literature By EFF1E WEYBURN ITERATTRE has been defined jus the reflection and reproduction of the life of the people speaking the language in which it is written. English Literature is therefore the record of the thoughts, the feelings and the acts of the great English speaking race. This record extends a long way back into the past, is being made today and will be made for ages to come. Once this Literature was restricted to the British Isles. Since the Declaration of I tide-l endence the single stream of English Literature has been divided into tributaries and one of these divisions and the one. too, to which we shall restrict ourselves is the American branch. While we have an equal pride with the British in the splendid possession of the English Literature of the past, yet as the Americans of today differing as we do from Englishmen in many points of custom and of taste: we have a just pride in our own productions which are as strictly American as are many others of our national traits. For a century and a quarter Americans have grown up in a republic without caste or class distinction: with public schools open to rich and poor alike. All these things have had their effect on our people. We recognize that there is such a thing as Americanism defined as being, “that dignity of human nature which consists, perhaps, in not thinking yourself either lietter or worse than your neighbor by reason of any artificial distinction. This Americanism has stamped Itself upon our Literature and it is because of this that American Literature of recent date is of more interest to us than is that of the recent English writers. In the words of our definition of Literature, “it reproduces and reflects for us our own feelings, thoughts and deeds and it interests us. Although Ini- longing almost wholly to the nineteenth century American Literature has presented us a galaxy of great names. In the first half of the last century New York gave us Irving, Cooper and Bryant. Toward the middle of the century Boston and vicinity produced Emerson. Longfellow, Whittier. Lowell, Holmes and I’arkman. When these left us no successors remained of the same relative influence. Although there has never been so many authors as there are today, and although the average of literary skill is higher than ever before, there Is now no towering figure and no dominating personality. Those who are at the head of American Literature at the beginning of flic twentieth century are not men of the same general type as the greatly gifted New Englanders whom they succeeded. Their aims and their ideals are different. They have not the binding tie of birth in the same part of the country. for they come from the South and from the West as well as from the East. After the death of Whittier. Lowell and Holmes there was left no poet having at once a high standing and a wide popularity. Poets there are of lofty aspiration and of delicate skill. Here we find a great difference between the poetry of the nineteenth and that of the twentieth century. Longfellow’s “Evangeline” and Whittier’s “Snowbound charmed alike the farmhand and the college professor. No long poem published in the beginning of the present century has achieved this double distinction. Such a | oem may f e given us at any time, but with increasing vogue of fiction. Poetry seems less pre-eminent than it was in the past. Fifty years ago nearly all the w riters who stood at the head of the American Literature were poets. Less than half of the writers, at the head ”4