Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-07-02
AMERICOMANlA.
Tho Influence of American Institutions
Upon English Legislators.

Upon English Legislators.
While the term Anglomahia signifies
in America craze among people of
questionable intellect for all that is
absurd, ridiculous and foppish in
English manners and social customs,
the term Americomania means in
England an inclination among the
thinking classes to introduce into the
home government what has been APP
proved best in American political in
stitutions and principles. The American
youth, man or woman, who desires to
be thought "quite proper" imagines
greater tone is acquired by initiating,
and therefore absurdly eXaggerating
the peculiarities of dress, speech and
mannerisms of that class that does not
include the most refined and elegant
Englishmen, than by representing the
simple dignity, good taste and modest
demeanor of the true American gentle
man as he really exists in the conserv-
alive cities of this country.
The form of Anglomania that has
been so much satirized in this country
would lead one unacquainted with the
w tulllh ali IliiS lloLilltu
the age of forty are empty-headed Tom
noddies, with a tedious prediction for
the broad a, a constipation of ideas
that makes a dismal draw unavoida-
BILE, and pitiable absence Of judgment
in the matter of dress. Indeed, our
young sapheads see and grasp every
thing except the manhood of the Eng
lishman. They learn his trick of adj
justing or dropping the eye-glass, but
they do not show equal aptitude with
him for striking blow from the
shoulder. They ape his Incidence, but
they do not like him, rise alertly equal
to an emergency where decision and
courage are required. In fact there is
painful effeminancy about our Anglo
maniacs that makes their limitations of
the eccentricities of har dy, sturdy,
Independent race contemplate. The
English swell holds him self rather
above initiating the American snob.
and it unhappily does not occur to the
snob that he is very vacuous, worth
less, nondescript sort of creature, i'm
measurably inferior in qualities of
brain and muscle to the man he fondly
deludes himself into believing he has
patterned after.
Americomania is quite another mat
ter. The English people are not both
ering themselves to ascertain how we
accent or intone word, nor how we
wear our tailor traps, nor whether we
have any particular vulgar character
istics that may be adopted as distin-
guished mannerisms. They are, how
ever, very much interested in getting
comprehensive knowledge of the
once despised and ridiculed Institutions
that have impressed progressive Eng
land with the belief that the United
States Government is a very good
model to follow.
Since 1865 the English estimate of
the United States has undergone rad
ical change. For some years England
has been moving away from monarch
ical conditions, developing theories
that had in them all the elements of
democracy. Thought instead of tradi-
ton began to rule the country, and
soon or late politicians follow the
thinkers. Educated Englishmen are
fast learning that America affords the
best example of democratic govern
ment, and as England is rapidly be-
coming democratic respectable Eng
lishmen, says a thoughtful writer, "are
beginning to consider whether the
constitution of the United States may
not afford means by which, under new
| democratic forms, may be preserved
the political conservatism dear and
| habitual to the governing classes OF
England"
A democratic form of government
is all but established in En- gland, and
it is quite natural there should be a
disposition to borrow from this country
some measures and methods that will
make the triumph lasting. The Con-
servatives repealed as long as possible
the advance of democracy, but when
it swept over them with Irresistible
force they began to look at the stua-
ton fairly, and among the first things
| that became apparent was the necessity
for tangible and definite constitu-
tional basis. They perceived that,
while not the most trifing change can
be made in the Constitution of the
| United States without the most lengthy
consideration and deliberate assent OF
| the people, within month or two, and
anu Wltnout any reference 10 the people,
the English Parliament could dissolve
the union with Ireland or turn the
United Kingdom into a federal mon.
archy. The look brought them into
admiring regard of the authority OF
the President, the dignity of the Senate
the limited powers of the House, and
altogether there sprang up an Ameri
comania that is fast outionizine
England and promises to result in 8
form of government to which one pro.
phetic writer has already applied the
descriptive term of democratic con,
servatism. At present the English Con.
stitution is in form democratic, and
the majority, nominally at least, rules
1t is but step further to a limited de.
mocracy, government monarchical
in theory but republican in fact
England is in fair way to take this
step, and the time is not far away
when, half unconsciously perhaps, she
will have taken it.-Chicago Inte'
|