San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-03-19
gte Daily Eight.
--1zezSzs-sSSSSS
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1891.
Sloyenly Americans.


euliar. Love of country walks han,
in hand with prejudice Where sucI
does not exist the passion is apt to bt
waveriDg and wan. Nevertheless 1
ls well now and then to inverse tn
lens of criticism, shorten the focu
and turn it upon ourselves. No on,
can for q moment doubt, of course
that we are worth more than any
body else, but it Is q healthy process
for every kind of truth to be put Oc
cassionally upon the defensive
There are some of us, fear, who
could not bear the close scrutiny to
which the West Point cadet, for in.
stance, is subjected in the searching
hours of gray dawn.
1ue American, and L allude only to
the male, is lsmentably untidy-l
hesitate to say unclean, but do not
hesitate to sssert, and to assert 1t
vehemently, that the first clause is
true of our men of all classes, sta
lions, vocations and degrees of
wealth. Its evidences parade them
selves In our palaces, where lack of
means can not exculpate. In fact,
cleanlire q, neatness and money have
netuing whatever TO do with each
other. Dogs and ducks are examples
Of thls divorce. When q DOG Is not
EQUIPPED in hunting for prey he Is
usGstiy busy with the care OF his per-
son ard there is nothing hi6fe edi-
tsing to watch that the evolutions
of a young duckling at his toilet.
Several hours will be expended in
efforts to bring recalcitrant feather
on his back to the proper condition of
smoothness and order. Animals can
teach men important lessons in self
respect. An American lady
reslulug in London a part of each
year, when asked suddenly what
especial superiority she found in the
British over her own people, replied
naively, "Oh, their men are 80
CLEANUP The thrust was as uncon-
scious as it was unstudied. 1t were
well for our men to accept it as such.
Take one of our morning trains and
ferries carrying an average American
crowd to the city of morning.
Here we have a fairly representative
variety of types and of classes, and a
sorry enough spectacle it is which
presents itself to our view, even at
this early hour. Spotted clothes.
unbrushed shoulders, frowsy nair
and frayed shirt cuffs are not uncom-
mon. When this herd returns ats
O'Clock after the struggle of the day
we will draw the veil.
If L meet a man in the late after
noon with uncertain fiBger nails,
depressed collar and soiled cravat,
and he labriously explains to me
that he takes his cold-water bath
every morning at 6 and sea dip upon
his return to his country home before
his late dinner, / refuse to be inn !
pressed. His assurances carry no
even though / do not for |
au instance doubt their veracity. / |
Dc not care to be informed that he |
was clean and will be clean anon
His present aspect is none the less |
revolving. I desire him to be clean !
now, while l am In the way with |
him, and not poison my day with |
his present forlorn performance
Taste in dress, the art of selecting
the right thing for the right Occas
ion, suitability, becOmingness, a |
sufficient variety of outfit, and, above
oil, that discipline of the body with
out which no outfit is effective and
which develops an imposing presence
lean US one step higher.
Military exercises, athletics, de-,
velop in Europe a race splendid
broadchested, elastic, graceful, ele-
giant men, upon whom their garments
sit as upon kings and gods. While
10 many of our men such a training
would be useful and entirely attain
ii e, there are others, of course, to-
whom 1t must perforce, through cir
cumstances, be denied. But this is
hardly reason for the deplOrable
tenue of the average American. He
shuffies with his feet. His head is
sunk and held low beneath his shout.
doris. His arms are carried like the
grocery boys, busy in the conscen-
Jious delivery of the brown papar
parcel. If he bow TO you, he will
either give YOU grin and an impre-
ceptIble nod, or shove his hesd-gear
back and forth on his head without
dignity. Nothing less impressive
and distinguished can be imagined
than an Americans ralute.
THE investigations show that the
orphans N the Newburg n. Y. Home
have been very hardly not TO say
inhumapIy treated. The man, wo-
man. or board that so treats poor
orphans should be subjected to the
same treatment, precisely, and made
10 do penance for their sins in that
fashion.
The character o; the New Orleans
Sicilians seems to be very we'll un'
berstood in Europe: fDot in America
They are known there as the off
81 .nnrinar Of aaStn-n Enrnna and the