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Hauptmann, Gerhart, 1862-1946

"The Dramatic Works of Gerhart Hauptmann Volume I"

But for ever so long now they've
had the awful misery of their condition held up to them. Think of all the
societies and associations for the alleviation of the distress among the
weavers. At last the weaver believes in it himself, and his head's
turned. Some of them had better come and turn it back again, for now he's
fairly set a-going there's no end to his complaining. This doesn't please
him, and that doesn't please him. He must have everything of the best.
[_A loud roar of_ "Hurrah!" _is heard from, the crowd._
KITTELHAUS
So that with all their humanitarianism they have only succeeded in almost
literally turning lambs over night into wolves.
DREISSIGER
I won't say that, sir. When you take time to think of the matter coolly,
it's possible that some good may come of it yet. Such occurrences as this
will not pass unnoticed by those in authority, and may lead them to see
that things can't be allowed to go on as they are doing--that means must
be taken to prevent the utter ruin of our home industries.
KITTELHAUS
Possibly. But what is the cause, then, of this terrible falling off of
trade?
DREISSIGER
Our best markets have been closed to us by the heavy import duties
foreign countries have laid on our goods.


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