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Show MAXIM GORKY'S DISILLUSION. An ancient sage said that he would rather live In a community in which nothing; Is lawful than in a community In which everything is lawful. Maxim Gorky. comes from a country in which nothing Is lawful. It has seemed to him 'that' he came to a country In which everything is lawful. He has discovered his terrible mistake, a mistake mis-take ruinous to his hopes of serving effectively the cause which he has crossed the Atlantic to promote. - This is not a government, he discovers, discov-ers, under which everything is lawful. It Is a government of laws; of laws which are in the last analysis confined to and inspired by public opinion. But there are acts and practices not perhaps per-haps condemned by law,- but under the ban of public opinion, upon the perpetrators perpe-trators of which public opinion acts automatically, au-tomatically, decisively and with no appeal. ap-peal. He has placed himself under that ban. Society has promptly avenged Itself It-self upon him for a social offense. No policeman or soldier was Invoked to visit upon him the penalties of this unwritten law. The law executed . Itself, It-self, through a number of agents of whom no one had any other motive than his personal interest. New York Times. |