The herald., 1893-07-31
TO SEE OURSELVES AS orHsRs SEE US

Our English cousins are very fond of
priding themselves on their decorum.
Nothing 80 pleases the average English
editor as to dwell upon the wild aban-
don that sometimes characterizss the
congress of the United States. Oo-
casional incidents in either house of
that body are held up for the horror
and delectstion of the English public.
Yet it is safe to say that rarely if ever
has there been an occurrence in the con-
gressional history OF this country that
approached in bounce and offensiveness
the lively play in the House of Com
mons the other night, in debate on q
clause OF the Irish home rule bill.
Donnybrook Fair was the only paral-
lei to it, but it must not be supposed for
a moment that the Irish members of the
commons were the principal contribu-
tors to the hour of misrule. On the con-
trary, the impulsive, warm-hearted but
chivalrous Irish stand forth in most
gratifying contrast, at times, to the more
phlegmatic English members.
The comedy OF the occasion was fur
nished by DR.. Tanner, who is generally
the center ofany agitation in the House,
particularly when the subject is Home
Rule, and who came in bounding over
the benches at the tail of the hunt. He
only arrived in time to be too late, and
his discontinue must have been sight
to see.
But really it is high time that the
supercilious English exultation over
Americans ought to cease ii the Briton
still retains any inkling of his old spirit
of fair play. 1t is perfectly safe to say
that in no stage of the history OF the
United States could there have been
gathered an assemblage OF partisane who
could have been induced to hiss a ven-
cradle statesman who had celebrated his
eighty-fifth birthday, as was the case
with Gladstone. This venerable states
man was not thus insulted by mob but
by the creme de la creme of the English
aristocracy, tine noble danes of the
Primrose league looking on and smiling,
and this Notwithstanding the fact that
at the time Mr.. Gladstone had just re-.
turned from dinner with the Prince OF
Wales, was in the company OF that per-
sonage and entitled by every prescrip-
tion to courtly treatment. We do not
believe it is in the power Of fate, even,
to get agentleman of national fame, who
had passed his seventieth year, Missed
in the United States. The people might
dissent violently from his views, but
they would certainly stop short OF such
barbarian. Foreigners have frequently
called attention TO the marked gsllantry
of the American people in their inter-
course with women. We think there is
here also notable chivalry towards age,
especially when it is illustrious, of
which our people can rightfully boast.
If the home rule debate shall have no
other effect than to call attention to the
groundlessness OF the English claims in
the line of 81 am better than thou" in
the respective parliamentary proceed
ings of the two countries it will not
have been without its good results.
And at this time it is just as well to note
the fact that the boasted English superi.
ority over the United States in the tone
of the newspapers of the two countries
is just as unfounded. Charles Dickens,
years ago, tried his hand on both the
newspapers of the United States and
England. 1t isa question as to whether