Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-07

sincere admirer of some Of jts institutions, as
hope to prove in later letters. This English
contempt of American institutions ia due to
the amazing ignorance Of the lower and middle
classes, and even otherwise well-educated
Britishers concerning the new world. and the
blame for such ignorance must be in great
measure laid ut the doors of members of nv
own profession, both American and English.
American news in English newspapers is con-
spicuous by its almost total absence in sharp
contrast to the complete English specials in
great American dailies and the excellent daily
English budget served by the Associated Press
and the United Press. Some of the papers here
have q standing head line, France, Italy and
the United States" and SO on. but only news
from the latter country of the most sensational
character seems to be sent or published. Ac-
counts of lynchngs. with the horrors grossly
eXagSerated-and heaven knows lynching is
horrible enough-are always loaded and given
conspicuous positions in journals that are not
otherwise at all sensational, and simultaneously
is published n long editorial abusing the
United States for ITS condition of barbarism
1t is always the United States, never the state
that is blamed Your English editor, usually
an accomplished gentleman OF polished STYLE
who writes editorials by the yard, finds as
much difficulty in mastering the intricate SIM
plicities, if might so call them, of our Consti-
tuition did the Italian journalists during the
New Orleans affair. For instance, one OF the
first papers picked up on my arrival i'll Liver
pool was the Pictorial World, and conspicuous
in it was an account OF a lynching in Texar-
kama and an editorial calling the United States
government sharply to account. After lynch
ings, horrible" murders have the call, and
more space and comment will be given to one
of these horrible murders than to one equally
as horrible in the papers own city. Train rob-
berries rank next in popularity, and then come
fearful accidents, such as earthquakes, train
wrecks, floods and cyclones.
What is the result? The British newspaper
reader believes that America is a land where
lynchings and the events named are Of daily
occurrence, where wealth is abundant where
statesmen do not exist, and where every poll
tician is bold, bad man. In addition to this
the blood-and-thunder story about America is
a feature of the sensational family news
paper and the wild western penny dreadful is
always in demand among the youth of this
country. Outside OF London few American
plays are produced, but those of the most SEN
sational kind-"On the Frontier is being
played at a leading theater in this city as l
write-and they are looked upon as typically
American,
Wherein is the American Journalist blam-
able? you will ask. In that, as was pointed
out to me ty an English editor, it is invariably
an American who supplies the highly colored
sensations. Nearly year ago Allen Forman
IN the Journalist, speaking on this subject. ad-
vised the proprietor Of a cable news company
to curb the exuberant imaginations of some Of
his brilliant young men and let their dispatches
gain In accuracy what they would lose in SEN
sationalism. have no doubt the good sense
OF the English public. il not OF Eng lish Jour-
smra n. cnirr,ns ns AN snaneei anu am
would he olsdiv nn.naa TO tha nele
facts concerning the literature, the wonderful
resources, the enormous strides In commercial
frn;,a5 &C.. +. ,v';aL. h sV,y VI .ue
naonIo ~ tho I-,;t.a g.. -, III aso - .no
I;,,1e Sa..as ''"''' Ano" 'niS ooun'ry
'o 1900
AAiEaiAL foR sENsArioSALIsM.
have never seen in an American newspaper
an unfair picture of English life Ibsve naver
.o, =; a., .,,o~;.., ..--.
p-,,;.h .;.,... ., Vi
Di'sn s ., among tne lower classes,
hflp'.h ne urn oi in.erSiews with BRUSH
phi I'LL, p hs anu is.aA workers. But II
SUN me,e sne Paouium tnat american corre-
ponoen.s ncie aieu ~ serve up what store
iiou . iieu ~ VIC couiu oe ufawh upon III TINS
,,arrooi %, ~ ;ns sousana years. inns CITY OF
~, Pr, ioi .uo'snoe, rs e!anu one IN many
W. H., ,n - a. sieas eonmerciai INK between
'ne oid ana the new world, and It is as cosmo-
po"n a' Honuon VI we" 10TH. Oh every
i ure 70 nc seen tue eSidences OF a most
uu .0.a,i PuahroPy anu Oh the lavish pa
h,,s;nnsa y, ~ Guy SEvefnment Ns
business PeoPie arc remarkaDly progressive.
free iprasies, DAY and night reading rooms
Ioi az eiasses, museums anu picture galleries
iNn III euuea'iun.I ha.eriai' spiehold parks
anu inspiring PUBIC monuments abound; and
iet an american Loia, spending even a week
,s Noulu nos nave 10 dis very deep beyond
'ne crust VI us uaiiy NE 10 nno material Tor
many pictures Oh an ugly nature.
II may pe argued, ana Justly, thas this eic-
nehl OF wee anu ruinanism Is, unfortunately,
me usual concomltant OF great commercial
claes. only seek 10 SHOW where the shoe
couiu De mace 10 pinch on the foot. We are
no,' perhaps iess vicious IN the great CONNER
ciai cltles OF america, out there We seem to
nave mastered the art OF, to great extent,
I'M ra6 oe AZ. s,,s mere tue page is open.
confineS to anv slnm section-.vor nsaat thaU'
at every turn The unfortunate classes min
gle with the passers by on every street Poverty
ants us wall at frequent intervals. The law
less element tracks your footsteps at every OPP
portunlty, bnt the great numerical strength Of
the police force holds 1t In check. Men and
women drink together Mt every saloon, and in
most saloons or bar rooms there is a section Of
the bar set apart especially for women. The
number Of drunken women seen in the streets
is in itself temperance lesson Of the strong
est Kind. have seen scores of young girls
with faces fair enough to people heaven, stag
gering under their weight of alcohol their
mouths, which nature had kissed into beautiful
on the streets!
When the barman or barmaid calls "tine" at
IL pm. the saloons threw into the streets as
many women men, and these saloons are
not like the low dives of America, nor are they