Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-01-13

must I've somewhat aghast ut the recent
performance OF the Army and Navy
Club in London. The philosopher Of
whom we speak thinks his countrymen
to be desperately vulgar, but in 10
club Of American gentleman would
such vote as that OF the English club
re-aimitting Baker be possible. We
doubt if any American gentleman in
London, knowing the facts, wonld re
gard an invitation to join that club,
even if it were permissible, as other
than an insult. The facts are simple.
| Baker wasa colonel in the British army,
who committed foul assault upon a
young woman in railway car. He
was tried. convicted, imprisoned for a
year, and dropped from the army.
His light imprisonment was due TO the
fact that he was favorite in society,
and the Duke of Cambridge, the COM
mander of the army, tried to spare him
the disgrace of being dropped. But
the Queen fortunately had different
sense of honor and of duty, and insisted
that 8 man who was guilty of the most
dastardly outrage upon 6 defenseless
woman disgraced the colors that he
bore. He vas dismissed, and after his
years imprisonment in Jail padded
with fashionable sympathy and succor,
he naturally departed for Turkey.
There he became Baker Pasha. and
tonight for the ally of the British lingo.
After the war he returned to England,
and the lingo world folded him to its
heart. A duke warmly welcomed him
to his table, and the Prince of Wales
sat with him at dinner. Mr.. Smalley
tells us that there were speeches in
honor Of tho illustrious guest. The
Marquis OF Steyne must have wished
in his Internal retreat that be might be
present at banquet so grateful. No
touch of Thackeray's satiric scorn
burns like this simple fact. This man,
foiled by brave girl in his vile en-
deavor, was saluted in lingo salons.
and lacked nothing of complete social
restoration but re-ldmission to the
club. Now u club is distiLctively
body of gentlemen. 1t may be mill
tary or naval or civil or conservative
or liberal or scientific club, but it is
especially an assembly of gentlemen in
its particular kind. The one person
who might be supposed to be odious to
such social fellowship would be pre-
cisely the reprobate who was guilty of
Bakers offense.
1t seems that for restoration to the
club it was necessary that fifty members
should propose him who were Of opin-
ion that the cause of his leaving the
service did not affect his character as
gentleman. Fifty members of the
Army and Navy Club we're OF this opin-
ion, aud $50 members voted q gainst
thirty-nine to sustain the view Of the
fifty, and to admit Baker to the club us
spotless gentleman. The vote reveals
the standard Of the Army and Navy
Club. An immense majority decides
that man who is bsfila ed by the cour
age of q young girl in the commission
OF an unspeakable crime against her
is gentleman. Oar American philos-
opher will surely admit that that part
of Europe which is included in the
Army and Navy Club is in no fear of
being vulgarized by America. for she
same reason that an added egg can
not be spoiled.
II this be gentility. let US thank
heaven for vulgsrity. This is the So
ciety, however. into which American
snobs pine to be admitted. Yet they
know that in none OF their own clubs
at homo would such o transaction be
possible, and they themselves, however
obseauiously they eat toads and hunt
tufts, would not be guilty either of the
offense or the conformation. The Amer
lean snob initiates the absurdities of
the English. but not his offenses. He
may even toss his head lightly, and
speak with affected nonchalance of
Bakers dastardly crime. but so the
bumptious boy sticks to the cigar that
nauseates him. He pre- tends TO think
it manly, but the poor fellows whole
system revolts at it and repels it. The
innocent American snob who affects
the English dress and speech and man
ner, and laboriously attempts to repro
duce Eoglish sports aud customs upon
our unfavoring SOIL, stops there, having
earned the amused smile of his sensible
fellow-countrymen. He may awl aW +!
and stutter, and wear short-wais.ed
coats and tight trousers and heavy
shoes; he may wind the mellow horn
as he eagerly follows the fleet anise
seed bag, and CALAMITY emulate the
elder Weller in driving stage-coach,
and the British "spoits in dashipg
at polo; but he does not give his hand
to the man who cheats at cards, nor
vote to admit to his club an infinitely
fouler offender.
Nobody of course would hold the
great body of Englishmen who bear
Without abuse
The grand old ma NE OF gentleman
responsible for the action OF single
London club, or for the princely favor
and ducal wining and dining of baf-
fed Lovelace. But it is curious
glimpse of the morality and character
OF Mayfa and it will certainly suggest
to our amiable American philosopher
a revision OF his theory George VIM.
Curtis.