r, but also better. They knew nothing
of the rags of the present fabrication. And it may be asked whether
that dearer material was not cheaper in the end for the poor. When this
is taken into consideration, the new material has no advantage over the
old. I will freely admit that the inventions of modern times do honor
to human genius. I acknowledge the achievements of industry, as such. I
admire the improvements of machinery, the great revolution caused by
the use of steam, and thousands of other wonders of art. No sensible
man will question the relative worth of all these. But all these are
driven and commanded by a bad influence, and herein lies the injury. We
must consider industrialism from this higher standpoint. What advantage
is it to a people to be clothed in costly stuffs when they are
enervated, demoralized, and perishing? Clothe a corpse as you will, a
corpse it will be still. And besides, the greatest material good does
not compensate the white factory-slaves for the loss of their liberty.
The Lucullan age fell into decay, although they feasted on young
nightingales, drank liquified pearls, and squandered millions for
delicacies and luxuries. The life of nations does not consist in the
external splendor of wealth, in easy comfort, or in unrestrained
passions. Morality is the life of nations, and virtue their internal
strength. But virtue, morality, and Christian sentiment are under the
ban of modern civilization. If Christianity does not succeed in
overcoming this demon spirit of the times, or at least confining it
within narrow limits, it will and must drive the people to certain
destruction. We find decayed peoples in the Christian era, but the
church has always rescued and regenerated them. While the acquisitions
of modern times--industrialism, enlightenment, humanitarianism, and
whatever they may be called--are, on the one hand, of little advantage
or of doubtful worth, they are, on the other hand, the graves of true
prosperity, liberty, and morality. They are the cause of shameful
terrorism and of degrading slavery, in the bonds of the passions and in
the claws of plutocracy."

Frank made no reply.

For a while they walked on in silence.

"Let us," continued Klingenberg, "consider personally those men whose
molten images stand before us. Schiller's was a noble nature, but
Schiller wrote:

"'No more this fight of duty, hence no longer
This giant strife will I!
Ca