The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-05
ENGLIsn DECISIONS.

The passage of the Mckinley Tariff Bill
seems strangely enough TO have provoked
our English critics to revive their old stories
about American gentlemen keeping out of
politics and the predominant influence of
Irishmen in public affairs in this country.
1t has been shown time and time again that
these notions are wild imaginings resting on
the mereSt shade Of a shad w; but our good
brother John Bull refers to them at regular
intervals as though they were established
facts, which nobody ever disputed.
1t is not difficult TO define an American
gentleman. In certain European countries
descent goes to make a gentleman. In the
United States we are our own ancestry, and
the posSessor of culture, refinement gentle
instincts. courtesy and polite behavior Is con-
sidered type of the gentleman. That the
class which can boast of these attributes is
driven ont Of politics by the cOarseness Of
politicians is not true, as any one who has
mixed IN political contests will testify. On
the contrary, men of the best breeding and
the most thorough refinement are TO be
found IN every political contest from Presi-
DENTAL to municila al elections. Some of the
most highly educated and most polished men
in the country have occupied seats in every
Congress since the formation of the Govern
ment. This class OF persons do not WELD
the 81 me political influence as the CORE
spending class in Great Britain, simply be-
cause ia his country influence is won by
ability and character alone, while there il
may he Won by birth, without ability or
character; and as the refined and cultured
class is necessarily minority Of the whole,
there is certain 10 be more ability outside of
its ranks than inside.
One ften hears a clubman declare that he
is Indifferent TO politics, because it is no field
for gentlemen. The odds are that the
speaker has mixed in politics and has come
to grief ut the hands of some rival less cult
uTed but stronger in viii, keener in judy
ment and wider in grasp. His proposition
should be modified so as TO read that politics
is no field for gentlemen who are not the
equals in intellect and mental vigor of their
less refined rivals. In other words, politics
being a hard science, dealing with hard facts
and practical issues, Is not an arena in which
the prizes are necessarily to be won by CheS-
terfeldian manners and nice seuce Of
social etiquette.
The old English notion that the Irish race
control cur politics is another delusion.
Irish-born citizens are quick witJed, and they
generally live in cities IN preference to the
country. They take to politics naturally
and show an aptitude for the business.
Hence, in large cities, they generally fill a
larger proportion Of the offices than men of
other nationaliles. But their influence in
national and State politics has never been
cut of proportion to numbers. The So-called
IriSbmen who have won distinction and
power in this country nave done so, not as
Irisbmen, but as Americans; not by reason
of their nativity, but i'll. spite of it. The
English credit them with having had in
fuenee enough TO induce this country to
take the side opposed to England on Irish
questi rs; but that also is delusioD. Ameri-
cans sympathize with the Home Rulers in
Ireland because the cause of Home Rule
commends itself to their approval as an
extension of the political principle upon
which our own institutions rest.
These British decisions rest on the as
tonishing ignorance OF the English regard
ing foreign affairs. Most Of Queen Victoria S
subjects believe that England is the hub of
the universe, the center Of civilization, art,
learning, industry, commerce and virtue.
and that it is waste time for an Englishman
to concern himself about other countries
inhabited by inferior races. They are like
the Greeks, who casSed all foreigners in
discriminatory as barbarians. They are only
slight improvement on that Oriental
potentate whose herald used to announce
each afternoon that his Majesty having
dined, the other inhabitants Of the world
might now so to their dinners.