Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-25
AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE.

The record made by Lady Plowden, who
rejoices in the somewhat cumbersome title
of ex-Lady Mayoress of London, and is
travelling with the ex-Lord Mayor under
the tutelage of Mr.. c. R. Huntington
through the Southwest, bids fair to become
an international topic. The lady, while
staying at hotel in Galveston. gave free
play to her housewifelv instincts by airing
the bed clothes out OF the front windows of
the hotel. A hotel chambermaid who
undertook to interfere got her ears boxed.
and the housekeeper of the hotel who tried
to investigate, was thrown out of the room.
Later on a bellboy with the habitual
faulty OF his class. spilled the usual
pitcher of icewater over her ladyship's
dress, and secured a thorough drubbing
until he made good his escape. The same
sort of victory is alleged to have attended
the lady's collision with the servants of
San Antonio hostelry.
This exhibition of the prowess of the
Britannia female is seized upon by some
contemporaries as specimen of English
manners. With a somewhat unneces-
sary haste to appropriate the British
filings dt the manners of the
Yankee nation, esteemed contemporaries
are referring to the achievements of this
titled dame as an example of the customs of
the British aristocracv, and asking if that is
the model which we are to adopt for our
guidance. The retort is perhaps fully
justified by the ler tdlioniS. As the English
10 loI
mems whom they find browsing around
among European inns, it is retort in kind
to take this belligerent specimen of the
British females that is intimidating the
hotels of Texas as an example on the other
eide. Nevertheless, in the interest of the
entente cordiale, on this great international
issue it is necessary to point out that there
is misunderstanding on both sides.
To correct the misunderstanding on our
side it is necessary to remark that Lady
Mayoresses of the city of London are not
members of the aristocracy or necessarily
models of polite British society. Even if
they were, it is not the regulation at the
Mansion House to air the bed linen out of
the front windows, nor is it deemed abso-
Iutely duty of the mistress of fashionable
household to personally chastise the PAM
pered menials. With that correction
it is necessary to point out the misunder-
standing under which Lady Plowden
labors. She has heard of the domestic
service problem of this country and of the
wild and untrammeled life of Texas in
which it is necessary to resort promptly to
weapons of offense and defense. Obviously
she intended to settle both matters at one
blow. Her plan for reducing domestic
servants to discipline is evidently an eff
cacious ore, if the head OF the house is suf-
fciently good fighter; but it requires vast
amount of physical culture on the part of
housewives. As to showing that she can
not be imposed upon by the lawless element
of Texas, Lady Plowden has evidently got
the whole State in terrorized condition;
and as she travels to the Pacific coast. even
the robbers will give the train which car
rie7 her to the Golden Gate free track.
1t is clear that Lady Plowden's course
wa; due to erroneous notions caused by
loose information, which led to a mistake in
her choice of subjects. If she had thumped
a hotel clerk or two into a condition of
humility the whole country would have
risen up and called her blessed.