New-York tribune., 1883-03-16
MANNERS.

MANNERS.
The present is not likely to be known as the
| CbosterGeldian epoch in America, if our news
naper records have any influence upon the his-
torion. There has rarely been time when man
hos told his fellow what he thought of him"
with more freedom and explcitness than he Is
using now. Perhaps there is something Ill 'iio
condition of the atmosphere at this season VI
the wear which acts upon the human temper i'No
| butter in q pie crust-makes 1t short lehhy Sun
| saws that in the spring young mans fancy
| lightly turns to thoughts OF love- anu he mas
been generally considered sound Ill his state-
ment: that effect may be produced as usual thls
vear when the weather becomes moro genial
| ms, now. however, the fancy of tho man OF all
| aces appears to turn rather lightly to Thoughts
| of calling some other man hard names. Some
| times he follows up the fancy with desire 10
nuncb the other mans head, but more often ne
| - coptept with the first and less dangerous
| step. Several remarkable instances oil TINS tenn
per disturbance were recorded Yesterday. lhey
appear in various parts of the country ana lndl-
| cate that the disquieting conditions are spreau
| over a large area.
The pressure was very strong in the neigh
borhood of Castle Garden on "Wednesday. one
honorable Commissioner told the president nc
considered the whole Board to be deficient IN
| common sense Another honorable Commis-
soner soon afterward informed the first that
he "must keep his mouth shut or III shut It TOT
| him. The first retorted handsomely, speaking
like man who was proud for what generous
| nnture had done for his mouth lOuIl nave
larger contract on your hands than you can carry
| ont The second honorable Commissioner ap-
p.ared 70 accept this view OF the mouths dl-
mansions. for ne shifted his attack and re-
marked comprehensively, summing up the va
| rions attributes Of his fellow Commissioner In
one strong sentence You're n contemplate
old skunk. that's what you arem This naturally
constituted the climax of the debate. Inc
second honorable Commissioner subsequently
| remarked that the first was liar but COM
monplace cpithot like that was naturally felt
TO he feeble after the previous flight. There
was no fighting These honorable Commission
| .rs always stop short of blows The exerton
of coiniup fresh epithets is all their strength Is
eoual 10. This is somewhat of pity; Tor II
their performances were to excite as much dis-
gust in their own minds rs they do in that oi
the public they would rise up in body ana
| throw one another out of Office.
A very different method is pursued in South
Carolina. There is a most interesting affair in
nrogress at Columbia. Two leading lawyers
had some words in the courtroom. The first
called the second liar whcreupon the Sec
ond PROMPTLY slapped ;he frst's face. Friends
then intcrfered. The first Colonel Youmans,
went home and sent challenge to mortal COM
hat TO the second, Captain O'Bryan. 1t will be
observed that both gentlemen have military IL
Ties. O'Bryan @egaded the challenge on strict
code of honor rules" Then Youmans posted
him as n liar and coward" Then OBryan
agreed to fight, AID hostile meeting was APP
pointed. Then the police mtorfered and both
norties were bound over to keep the peace.
| This is the modern "chivalric" method IN all
its intricate and impressive details. Briefly and
perhaps harshly summed up, it amounts to TINS :
| Get into "A row; buster and swngger and talk
about the code of honor; haggle over hostile
meeting until the police get wind oft, and then
claim that nothing but the minions oi Inc law
prevented the flow of gore.' This is not espe-
cially flattering to the courage OF the sons OF
chivalry, but 1t is in some respects less con-
temptible than the Castle Garden method.
Perhaps the most singular case of the prevail
ing disturbance is that which has been 80 wldeIy
proclaimed as happening in the dlnlng-hall OF
| Harvard College, between law student anu
colored waiter. The students statement OF the
affair shows it to have been extraordinary. lie
| wanted some rolls. The waiter refused to pass
them Mt first but afterwards consented, saying
| IN the student: Perhaps y0u don't like the
style of my remarks This put the student in
n passion, and he arose and hit the waiter with
n chair. The waiter appears to have dlsllked
this. for when the student left the hall the
waiter with two of his associates followed him
| and gave him n severe pounding. The student
sums I'D his account of the case by saying :"
made a fool OF myself in attacking him with
n chair We are inclined to agree with him,
and can account for his foolishness on no other
ground than atmospheric pressure There was
one other disturbance in this city, which Is the
last We have space for. A gentleman took "a
lady to the opera OIL Monday night, for the GU
rlous purpose OF hearing the music The conver-
sation Of some other persons near him defeating
this purpose, he requested them to be quiet
Then ore of them told him he was cur" ana
he replied that his accuser was pr0lane some
thing or other and there was very neal to being Il
fight. This is the most conclusive case OF all in
illustration of the theory that there is some
thing 1ueer in the atmosphere. No man in his
normal condition would think of going to tho
opera nowadays and there deliberately nterfer-
ing with the conversation of the audience. 1t
is simply flying in the face of the manners of
the period.
| ------------------
A POLICE COMMISSIONER IN THE LOBBY
Police Commissioner Matthews has been this
ipt,in IA tlo .f