The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-10-31
The Decadence of England.
Some speculations of an Anglo Ameri--
can.

can.
OF subject that to-day deeply concerns Eng
and is it the first mists of autumn falling upon
park and square that convey tinge of melan-
lcholy to the current tone of public opinion? Is
it that the first dead leaves of the year, muffl
ing the tread, as you take your early suburban
walk to the cars for the city, flavor with their
odor of decay the general aspect Of things? Or
is England really going to the dogs? The long
rows of newly-bUilt houses tnat attract your
atten tion on every hand say mo" The mag
nifcent homes that rear their aggressive chin
ney-stacks to the sky say "No." All the mere
| do they say "No" on account of their CLOSED
blinds and shutters, for you know by that
same token the rich occupiers are gone to their
country estates or are visiting distant climes.
When you leave the cars to 60 to yonr office
in the city, the activity Of architect and build
| er, the newly-laid roads, the electric lamps,
the thoroughfares crowded with merchandise
coming from distant lands or going thither, all
these things say "No' to the question of Eng
| lands decline. But read the papers and take
part in the general conversation of the cars, the
omnibus, the bar, the club. the office. II the
popular verdict thus obtained is worth anything
it is all over with us, we are going to the dogs,
and the fall Of the leaf and the first mists of
autumn have nothing whatever to do with the
gloomy aspect which public affairs assume
| through certain journalistic spectaces and over
glasses that cheer il occasionally they inebriate
also. "My dear sir" said public man yester-
| day in Fleet street, sit is no good worrying
| about it; we are doomed. England is bound
| to be licked in the end; it IS in the nature OF
things, don't you know; Rome, Carthage, Ven-
| ice etc. A John Bright more or less, free trade
or protection; it will all come to the same thing,
leading up to the New Zealander on London
| Bridge"
There was such Mark Tapleyish flavor in
Mr.. Cityman's easy philosophy that l think 1t
fascinated me- I accepted his invitation to
dine with him. mot asoul here but ourselves"
he said, as he received me in the strangers
dining-room of a well known club. 80 much
the better; we shall have the unrestricted at
tention of the whole house." And think we
had. Only half the room was lighted. We
had table TO ourselves in snug corner.
| ''First fire of the autumn, by Jove!" said my
host; "nothing is pleasanter to me than the
fafrst fire of the au utumn-binds closely drawn,
| a glow on the hearth-rug the chateau margaux
q nice temperature, and just little pint OF old
| port with the walnuts, eh?" Let me give you
an idea of an English dinner: Half dozen ma
tive oysters, not as good as Blue Points in Full
ton market, but very good, nevertheless; at
glass of delicious, cool chablis-only glass, not
two; then the soup, clear turtle, with glass
OF milk punch--one glass; mark you; soles,
filleted and served with white sauce: an entree
of sWeetbreads; small saddle OF mutton, hung
to the perfection of tenderness, roasted; baked
potatoes, French string beans, currant Jelly;
| champagne, dry and iced; brace OF partrldges,
| bread-sauce and chip pOtatoes-the birds hlghI
| so that they perfume the room as the waiter re-
moves the silver cover; no sweets; the soft
roes of bloaters on toast; Stlton cheese, celery,
| biscuits, and three glasses of chateau margaux;
dish of walnuts, pint of old port. And, II
England is going to the dogs it is going there
very pleasantly.
Coffeo and cigars take us to the strangers
| smoke room. Another first fire of autumn.
| Another empty room. "Unfashionaole to DO
| here, of course" says my friend; "buL London
is not half as bad place to be in after all, at
any time" L assented. The fire cracked.
| The candles on the mantel above dimly illumi-
| mated some old carving; the hum OF the distant
| city could just be heard outside the Old tasn-
good bowling about it. Do you like that ci-
| gar?s f'Very, much" "No good bowling
| about it, we are going to the WALL mean
/ commercially France is beating US, America
is beating u.s. France because of the industrf-
i ous and thrifty habits of her people; they work
| longer hours and at less money America be-
| cause of her vast resources. The talk OF re-
| newing protection is only flash in the pan.
| We can never have that mouldy old institution
back again. 1t wouldn't help US; why lead to
| more starvation and trouble? The world does
| not want us-commercially, l mean-any
| more; we want the world. America can make
her own pots and pans and crockery and car
\ pets and all that kind of thing France can
| do without our manufactures. But we must
| have French silks and sugar and knicknacks
| and claret and champagne, don't you know;
| and we must have Americans corn and cotton
| and fruit and their internal timed meat and
| stuff-must, mind you; not that you and
| want it; we don't; but the poor devils of work
| people, and clerks, and families with settled
! incomes, they must have it, And what is the
! good OF throwing statistics about and calling
| people fools and all that? What is the good
| of it?"
He paused for a reply, and looked up at the
| smoke of his cigar that curled gracefully to-
| wards the dimly illuminated carving on the
| mantel-shelf. mot bit" he went on; land
| L see you agree with me. have studied this
| thing out could dose you with figures and
with quotations but won't. We are a nice
| tight little island and always shall be-always
| grow the best mutton IN the world, always
| have the sweetest fish, the choicest fruit, the
| finest yachts, the snuggest country homes, the
| softest turf to ride over, and always are iree
| from invasions, having aroEnd us the sea- as
| manufacturing nation, why, hang 1t! let us
90 to the dogs; we shall get rid of the smoke
| and stink of the trades. England will always
be a good place to live in; let the toilers take
their hammers and shops to other lands; the
| money will come here / have an interest in a
| silk mill in France. If they will tax my Eng
| lish silk must have a hand in their own
| works l am going TO have share in an Eng
| lish steel-works on the other side OF the Allan
tic, Why not? To enrich America, you say?
| No; to enrich myself and family. England Is
| over populated now. Let the spinner and the
| weaver and the ironfounder go out and enrich
| his family too. Another cup of coffee? And a
little curacoa?"
| Eyes. / think will Are there many lead
| ing men who bold your views?'' 81 don't know.
| The ministry is a free trade ministry. Lord
Beaconsfeld snubbed the protectionists. ELord
| Salisbury, in spite of Durham and Lincoln,
| dare not encourage the so-ealled fair traders.
| The Standard sneers anthem; the Times does
| not help them, though it has no sympathy with
| the coarse abuse of Bright the Daily News IS
free trader, tooth and nail; so is Gambet IN
| France; so are some OF your great American
| Republicans; so are several of your leading
journals. England has fOurished under free
| trade, but she can no longer grow corn in com
| petition with America, and her home trade is
not sufficient to keep all her great factories go
ing. She has overdone herself with machiaery;
| ali the world, and especially America, can
| stand shoulder to shoulder with her in the In
| dustrial arts; we have played cur game OUT 1t
is ended; fair trade is only the last cry OF de-
| spair." Your idea then, is to eat, drink and
be merry, for tomorrow we die" CONNER
cially, yes, said my host. We tinally parted
over "split soda and brandy" and walked
thoughtfully homeward. do not present my
club friend as representative free Trader py
any means; but he may be taken Gas type
of a not uninhuential class of men who lose no
opportunity of advancing their fortunes, and
who really. believe that England has not only
seen her best days, but is going rapidly down
| the commercial hill. A journalist OF experience
and natter-of-fact one, of sober habits, spoke
to me, only few days ago, of the certain fail
ure of both agriculturalist and manufacturer to
hold their own against the general competition,
| and he laughed at an idea that return to pro-
lection could help them. Fa'l1, in comic car
toon, put what the free-traders call their case.
| Britannia says to France, something to this
effect: every well, then, if you choose to mako
your people pay an extra price for my goods,
am not going to increase the cost of yours to my
people,"
Ninety Miles an Hour.