Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-06-12
THE AMrnroAN hog.

He Obstructs the Passage Ways
with Ills Muddy noVts, and Cont-
nrits ssrosser Offences Against
Decency. and He Must Go.
N. Y Sun.
Who is the worst-Inannered individual
one meets in the public conveyauoes vt
New York? Is be the dirty Italian
laborer, or the oolored map-of-a work,
or the immigrant taking his first ride
sitter leaving the Barge office, or John
Ohinsman Just from his ironing board
II would bs an insult to each Of the
GLASSES named 10 rank it with the peculiar
species Of biped hog which seems to be
one of the strange products of American
municipal life. There are several varieties
of the beast, all of them, alas too familiar
to the decent people of this town. None
of them is of imported stock. They
seem to be indigenous to the soil, and SO
patient has ng.suffering public be-
come that the nuisance has almost been
accepted as necessary product Of Amer
loan Institutions.
This Ia all wrong. There is an oppor-
tunity for great and glorious reform,
which the readers Of the Sun can accom-.
plish right here In this town in month's
time, IL they have mind TO. Let all
incident which happens hundred times
o day suggest remedy. On third ave-
nue train on Monday evening bitorcated
hog sat in seat by the door. One ankle
wpB supported on his knee, and very
muddy boot was thus suspended in tie
aisle, projecting shout six inches beyond
the door trams. Every lady who entered
or left the car brushed against the obstrnc-
tion and carried away some portion
OF its defilement upon her dress.
Nobody will say that the vulgar
though we'll. dressed offender had
any right to commit such an assault
upon every woman who passed in or out.
Why should he not be made distinctly 80
understand that be was held in contempt
by everybody around him 4? There are
few even OF the groasest Of New York
hogs who care to continue offending in
face OF the manifest detestation OF those
shout them. In the case mentioned there
Ia ample justification for the administer
ing Of q stinging rebuke by victim or
her escort. It can be done effectively
without comprising the dignity OF self
respect of the victim of the others of
tending. II lady has not sufficient
courage to request the removal of tina
obstruction, she oan humiliate the offender
even more by her actions than by words.
Let her draw her skirts aside and make
rs wide q CIRCLE as possible about the
dirty barrier. In nine cases ont Of 10
the attention thus attracted TO the owner
of the muddy boot, with the sympathetic
looks OF soorn that are sure to be turned
upon him, will mot only restore him to
decent behavior, but will soon make the
car SO uncomtortably warm that he will
seek quarters elsewhere. Try it, ladies'
and note the result.
Americans who live in great cities need
to exercise more of John Bulls pug
nacity in the assertion OF their persona
rights. None OF the petty ontraget
against private rights which are dali,
seen in the streets and cars Of New Yorl
would be tolerated in mixed COMPANY
OF Enelishmen. One such incident q
would pass unnoticed in New York il i
happened in London would be made til,
subject of half dozen letters of indig
papt protest to the fayorite Journals o
the witnesseq. The situation seems Il
be the reductio ad absurdam of the up
plication Of the principle OF equal right
in American municipal life. In othe
words, 10 the American hog, freedom
means license. He insists upon the full
right to his Legitimate prtrosatives ant
then trsmples unfortunately upon tn,
rights of his neighbor. And the stranges
part of it all is that bic neighhor rafel.
resents it. Patience has never ranked q
a great American virtue, but in som,
matters it is time that 1t was avoided a
one of the dangers of too much freedom
Horace O. Duval, Mr.. Depew's secre
tary, expressed the sentiments OF man!
an indignant New Yorker yesterday after
noon, when he fiourished Ia his office a
the Grand Central station handsom
blaokthorn which had Just been sent b
Editor John A. Sleioher. "Pm going t
dedicate that stick TO the American bipe
lnog," he exclaimed, as he made the al
whistle with great sweep around hi
head. ~ hope the Sun will make red
hot crusade agsinst the nuisance tbs
makes travel in EeR York almost intole
able. II ia the great evil of metropolita
life that should pssummsrily Suppressed
and the Sun will have the support I
every decent man on Manhattan Island
il will lesd the crusade"
Mr.. Duyal's blsck-thorn may get hi
into trouble; but more power to his arm
il he uses it righteously in the cause I
deoency!
correspondent writing to the Sun {
the general subject of public manners {
exemplihed in the streets and cars of Ne
York, makes some pertinent observation
He SAYS:
"While upon the much neglected su
iect of the bad manners of Americans,
suggest that 1t be made known that 1t
excessively ill-bred and disgusting
pick the teeth, ears or nose, to spit, or
am