Arizona weekly citizen., 1884-07-19
EentIemen.

There is, perhaps, no term more com
 pletely misunderstood and more griev-
 ously misapphed than the term gentle
 man; more particularly is this the case iu California Easing our opinions upon ideas formed and experiences gained during long residence on the Pacific coast, were we asked to say who in Cali
 fOrnia was a gentleman or what consti- tutsd one, We should te forced to seek an answer in asking in turn who was not, and what did not constitute one. In no other way could We reply without giving Q list and definition, the one as long as the male census, and the other as comprehensive in its inclusiveness as 1t would be bewIldering in the ramifca- tons of its descriptions Now, to begir with, We hare not the slightest objection to any mans considering himself a gen tleman, or that his friends and compan- ions should SO designate him. If it makes him happy, let 1t. This Is a free country, and people can call themselves pretty much what they like. But it is the utter senselessness of the thing that rifles us. The word gentleman has a distinct meaning of its own. It IS not synonO
 nous with man" any more than officer is synonomous with soldier" Each, in its own way, Is more than the other. Every gentleman is a man, but every man is not gentleman; just as every officer IS a soldier, but every soldier is not an officer. In short, to be logical, in neither instances are the terms con- vertible. Yet we'll be blessed if one wouldn't think they were in California In considering really what is a gentle man, we will leave ont of the question two misleading and erroneous ideas. Let us discard, first, all such rubbish as "born" gentlemen-a condition, in nine cases out of ten, aH inherent cOntradic- tion; and second, all such rot as that man Is greater title than gentleman, for We don't believe 1t. A man" may be seoundrel. but gentleman never could be one while he remained a gen tleman. And there IS the whole point.
 By a gentleman, according to our ac- ceptance of the term, we don't mean the too commonly accepted one in other regions, viz: A fashionably dressed dandy with dancing school manners, and an affectatiOn of servility m bis regard for ''ths ladies'" Nor We do ap- ply the term to an arrogant snOb, with a big house and many servants, a fast team and mistress;a man whose vulgar ostentatiOn and love of dh play Is only equaled by his self-applauding con versation and Overbearing demeanOr to those with less money than himself. Nor yet to the pompous scholar or scientist, whose inefIable concert is only second to his superciliOusness with those he supposes to be unlearned; nor to the w-beating, lOud-mOuthed lawyer, no matter what his practice. how fine his office or how large his fees; nor the famous physician or celebrated sur geOn, whose eself-importance shows itself in a surliness of manner and roughness of language to patients from whom he accepts pay; nor the swaggering Army officer, or Jack Tar Naval man, whose ideas of greatness never Oyerstep the barrier of the parade ground or "board ship" To none of these do We apply the term. Much rather would we to the barbers, the car-conductors, the bar keepers and the corner grocerymen, whom every day we hear called gentle men by those who are ignorant of the words intent. On the contrary the man whom we call gentleman" needs no credential but heart, no attribute but an ever present respect and regard for the feeling of others. We want no die tiOnary definitions to guide us m the matter, no outward semblance of wealth or social DositiOn.-News Letter.