Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-12-12

not take much interest in any thing unless
there is a grab in it. That our practical
politics are not conducted with any special
idea of bcttering the country, but that
patronage" $ the main feature Of our
political system. 1t is useless TO attempt to
give the Englishman whose longest rail
way journey has been from London TO
Glasgow, a matter of eight or nine hours,
u conception of the immense resources of
country so broad that it takes six days to
cross it by rail.
On the other hand, the chances are that
the Englishman finds out that London has
population equal TO the entire State OF New
York, and he gauges his notion Of the area
of the Empire State on that basis. We may
assure the Frenchman that If our State OF
Texas was a lake and his beloved France an
island in the middle OF it he would not be
able to see the main land from any point on
his shore. He would probably retOrt that
he had no desire to see land whose only
industries were the manufacture of patent
medicines, knickknacks and boosters.
And after all we can't blame the stay-at-
home foreigner for the estimate he forms
of US. We do not show at our best on the
other side of the water. That contingent Of
American travellers who parade their Ameri-
canism is by no means creditable to US as
nation. This very sense of our apparent in
feriority impels the best of US to unseemly
Dragging. We tell the foreigner that the
finest hotels in the world are in Flagler 5
famous group of palaces at st. Augustine,
in Florida; that there is not business
building in all Europe which can compare
to those in New York, Chicago or even in
the smaller American cities. He looks at
the evidences before him and draws his
own conclusions.
l do not think l ever witnessed q
more painful sight than one day In
the train going from Nice to Monte Carlo.
There were al American and an English
man in the compartment with me and they
were discussing the Samoan question. The
American was explaining how we should
''insist" upon Germany doing this, that
and the other. Just then we passed the
harbor of Vile Franche, where the squad
ron of the Mediterranean is conferred.
There were about twenty men-of-war there
French. Italian, Spanish, Russian, En-
glish and German. They were all fine
ships, mounting great guns in iron turrets
the three German vessels were simply
floating fortresses Of steel l never saw
any thing on the water which conveyed a
greater idea of strength and possible de
structive power. OF at one side was q =
sipated-lool1ing old tub-the Enterprise,
think-flying the American flag. The En-
plishman lust cast his eye over the group
and 1nurmured ''insistl" The contrast was
too apparent and my fellow-countryman
collapsed like a pricked balloon. Il did not
feel a bit good when l saw the stars and
stripes he confided to me as we climbed
the terrace up from the railway station
eff they will insist upon flying our flag in
foreign waters l wish to goodness they d
nut something under it so that we wouldn' I
look like a nation of darned fools"
But to skip back from Europe to New
York. Tue tide of travel is setting home
wards, and New York has broken out in al
eruption of English clothes. There Is httl'
difficulty in spotting an English suit OF
sight AS rule, it is made Of better ma
terials and does not fit so well as the home
made articles. That 1t is cheaper gees with
out saving. Imean the average suit. TIT
swell tailors in London and in New Yort
use the same goods, have the same ft anC
charge about the same prices, but the grea
majority of men do not 90 to the swel
taiiors, either in London or here. In New
York the average cost Of a good suit, made
bya good tailor, is fifty dollars; in London
il is twenty-five-or about one-half. Collars
cuffs and neckweer run in about the SAM
proportion, and, curiously enough, tn
bowling atrocities Of pattern and colo
which we see in the shops here marked
--LATEST English STYLE" we don't see II
London at all
The prevalent American idea Of Englis
styles seems to be something calculated I
knock the eyes out Of the beholder. tn
louder the suit the more English" It Is con