The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-08-24
Recent Publications.

Impressions of America by II. W. Dale (Ap-
pleton's New Handy Volume Series. d. Ap-
pleton & Co. New York; Portland: Dresser s.
McLellan) This is fair-minded, intelligent,
and thoughtful report of the political and social
aspects of our country, as seen by an Englishman
during a visit of two months in America. Mr..
Dale is keen and practically philosophic obser-
ver-his Judgment of the tendeL cies of our iusti-
rutions is exceedingly good where 1t Is the re-
suit Of his own sight and appreciation-but In
SO brief a sojourn he was, of course, obliged to
take much upon hearsay, and Vt is very easy to
separate in his work, the paragraphs of which
the substance was suggested by things said to
him by political theorists of the Massachusetts
species, from those exceedingly bright and WELL
considered views that were the result of his
personal observation and reflection. The vol
ume is divided into three topics: Society, Poli-
tics, and Popular Education. The chapter up
on society, however, views the subject frcm
standpoint of political economy, rather than as
an incoDgruous museum of natural curiosities
of dialect, and behavior-after the fashion of
many books of travel. Mr. Dale finds our peo-
pie serious, of admirable temper and a little
formal in their civility. Whatever of rude-
ness the popular manner has taken on itself, Is
attributable to the accession of the Democrats
in the election of Jefferson-and in the support
OF, or rather, ,twining around this theory which
needs no support-Mr Dale quotes authorities
to the effect that "before the election Of Jeffer
SOD, the children, when they passed their ell
ders on country roads or In the streets Of the
smaller towns, made a respectful bow; bat
with the accession ofthe Democrats to power,
the bow began to subside "frst into vulgar
half-nod, half ashamed and half impudent, and
then like the pendulum of dying clock, grad
ually ceased
Mr.. Dale gives well merited tribute to the
general honesty and efficiency of our civil ser
vice; but has been misinformed as to the diff
Guilty between Mr.. Conkling and President
Hayes, and does imperfect justice to the situa-
tion, which was striking tableau of Presiden-
tial inconsistency and senatorial frmness in q
proper cause. A permanent Republican com
mittee' is a non.existent council, that Mr..
Dale has heard spoken of by tie politically tim
orous but which he will never see, any more
than Caesars ghost. He also overestimates the
actually potency OF Mr.. Hayes in national af-
fairs-but many of our own people needed
moIe than Mr. Dale's two months In America
to gauge the power of President without q
party. Mr.. Dale administered fine rebuke to
one of the large and talkative class of men who
hold themselves above politics, and querulous-
ly aver that municipal offices are filled with
rogues. "Why don't you keep them out?
There are more honest men in the country than
rogues" said Mr.. Dale, "We can't afford it,
was the reply, 1--WE are making money, and, on
the whole, it is cheaper to be swindled than to
give our time to public work to prevent our
selves from being swindled." Mr. Dale's honest
manly answer was: "The rogues, according to
this account, do public work in order to make
money and honest men neglect public work In
order to save money. Judged by the laws OF
public morality, there is not much to choose
between them"
Mr.. Dale has encountered, both here and
abroad, numerous specimens of the ultra con-
seryatiye American, of the discouraged, kid
glove and cultchah school Of political thinkers;
and he notes with quiet humor their proneness to
bow down to the thrones of the old world. and
their vague desire TO have In America an aris
tocracy of culture and wealth, of which they, Of