Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-03
Senators Who Do Not Like Dudes"
Ae,n YoaL L.

" eD I OFk Times.
American dudes and Anglomaniacs
were subjects OF discussion in the Senate
Wednesday to the great edification of the
Senators and the amusement of the CALLER
les. The matter came up when the Senate
reached on the calendar a Joint resolution
which has been in Congress allowing
Ensign l.. Il. Reynolds, United States
Navy, to receive from the Emperor of
Austria the decoration of the Imperial
Order OF Francis Josef in recognition of
his gallantry in saving II persons from a
wrecked Austrian vessel. Mr.. Plumb
voiced the sentiments Of his Kansas con-
stltuents by declaring that it was time to
put q stop to that sort Of thing altogether.
There seemed to be men in the service of
the American Government who thought
more of foreign decoration than of their
commissions. People everywhere were
assuming foreign airs and manners
About the only things we were permitted
to import were the frills and fashions of
the Old World, and about our only ex-
ports were people who went abroad in
our service and then berated the country
which gave them their commissions and
from which they drew their salaries
people who spent their time trying to con-
vince those they met that they were less
Americans than they were residents Of
Great Britain or whatever country they
happened to be stationed in. Mr.. Plumb
was decidedly against this sort Of thing
as un-American. He thought an Ameri-
can decoration was good enough for any
one, but these people seemed to think it.
was not in comparison with a decoration
from some person who had had the kingly
oil poured upon him. He protested
against the passage of any such measure
as that proposed.
AS the representative of the true and
patriotic Americans of Texas Senator
MaXey also believed American ways
were good enough for American citizens.
lie also felt that the thing complained of
by Nj. Plumb was un-American, anti
Republican, and cultivated a spirit antag-
onistic to the institutions of the country.
We had class of people, ''dudes," he be-
lieYed they were called, who rode as Eng
lishmen did, pronounced as Englisnmen
did, and aped Englishmen in every way
they could. The whole thing was wrong,
and if United States officers couldn't be
satisfied with American manners they
had better quit the service and so to some
more cOngenial country.
Mr.. Morgan, of Alabama, pointed out
that Ensign Reynolds had received a gold
medal from the American Government for
his gallant conduct. and Mr.. Morgan
thought we were getting into the very
driyel of democracy when Senators could
object to Austria's desire to participate in
recognizing Reynolds brave act. Mr..
Bayard, of Delaware, favored the resOlu-
ton, and then Mr.. Plumb administered
another humping to un-AmeTican Amerl-
cans. He observed that number of bills
in the same line were now before the Sem
ate. One of them was to allow the Amer
lean Minister to Russia to receive gold
snutf-bOX or something of that kind for the
dangerous service he performed by stand
ing beside the Car at the latter's corona
ton. The line ought to be drawn some
where, Mr.. Plumb declared, and the only
way to draw it was to refuse permission
to all such applicants.
The Kansas Senator failed to convince
the Senate that the measure was a bad
one, for after Mr.. HOar had defended it
the resolution was passed. Messrs.
Plumb and MaXey voted may" in very
pronounced tones. Mr.. Plumb'S remarks
about similar measures pending in the
Senate evidently referred to a joint resOlu-
ton introduced last week by Mr.. Miller,
of California. In this resolution PERMITS
sion is given to Rear-Admiral j. w. A.
Nicholson to accept a medal conferred
upon him by the King of Sweden and
Norway; to Rear-Admiral r. w. Shufeldt
to receive a sword, Persian carpet, and
other presents from the Sultan of Zanzi-
bar, and to Rear-Admiral c. I'll. Baldwin
to accept gold box, with portrait of the
Emperor of Russia set in diamonds, pre-
scented by the Emperor on the occasion of
his coronation at Moscow. Rear-Admiral
Nicholson has also found an advocate in
the House in the person of the Hon. Sam
uel 5. Cox, of New York, who certainly
cannot be considered as DESTROYS of aping
English manners, but who has asked the
House to allow the Rear-AdmiraI to ac-
cept the King Of Sweden and NorWay's
medal.