The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-30
Halt Called on the Rudcnc IS of Numcr
Gus LnGLish Visitors.


Is it not about time that some word o
protest should be made against The cri
tical attacks INDUCED in by Englial
gentlemen ana English Ladies' who ar
constantly visiting our shores disguised
either as guests or rcformerS? Canno
some simple formula of good manner!
be handed each one of these diStin
guished tourists as soon as the Custom
House officers have finished with them
to guide them in their intercourse witt
the crude natives of our land? W,
are crude and illiterate people, lacking
all the finer requirements of civilized
life. Some of us wear lOW-cut collar!
and splay-foOted trousers instead of Tho
present correct thing in Bond street
some prefer pie with their breakfas
instead of orange maimalade and colo
mullins. Many of us are absorbed IN
making money. and all of us are OC
cupied in building up our own country
at least since 1776. We have neither
the glOrieS of England's past nor the
grandeur of her present, meaning hcl
aristocracy. but I have yet to hear one
of our native vulgalans rising at a ban
Quet of English ladies and gentlemen
a banquet given i'm his or her honor
and offending every right-minded guest
at the table and every other English.
man. as did Lady Somerset in Boston
when she stated, assuming to speak
for her own countrymen, that the Eng.
lish would not send any more paupers
to America if America would promise
not to send any more millionaries like
William Waldorf Astor to England"
Exhibiting Ill Taste.
If /, being only cOmmoner, with my
old fashioned ideas of American cour.
tesy, kindness of heart, and consider.
alton for another's feelings could pre-.
sumo to advise 50 distinguished a rep.
resentative of English thought anC
manners as Lady Somerset, | would bt
bold enough to- say, even at the risk OF
being considered outspoken to a women
that it is to my mind quite as incumbent
upon her to be a lady as to be a re-
former, and that, knowing. as she must
that the object of her attack was at thai
very moment on the ocean following tC
her open grave in this country Tho
Mr.. AStOr as mark Of lidicule ant
contempt reflected neither credit ON hcl
ancestry or her assumed title. 1t is q
matter of no moment whether Mr.. AS
tor has made himself obnoxious to Ger
tain of Lady SOmersets friends or not
If he has he is the first American with
money who has ever displeased them
If he has kept his pockets buttoncC
against the constant drain of his Eng
lish friends it is because he has perhaps
discovered that, being an American, he
is valued by them for his wealth an(
nothing else.
The Case of Burns, VI. p.
But Lady Somerset is not the only Of
fender against good taste and good man
ners. Not long ago u distinguished
member Of the British parliament
after a limited express journey across
our continent, with only such knOwl
edge Of the people as could come from
way stations and labor meetings, ant
with less than one weeks experience
i'm the greatest city Of the West a city
full of thoughtful men and good wo
men, with libraries, art museums, col
lcges churches; with charities So great
so wide, and SO deep that Lady Somcr
sets offensive millionaires fed ant
housed for four winter months ovel
two hundred thousand Of the very same
dOwn-trodden workngmen that Tho
very honorable memoir Of parliament
Isl SO deeply interested in-I say only {
few weeks ago this same Englishman
the Hon. Mr.. Burns, member of parlia,
mcnt. was honorable and CuurtcOu,
enough to state, after enjoying thoil
buunteous hospitality that Chicago
was "a pocket edition of hell" ant
when asked to qualify his remark only
amended the statement by altering tn,
phrase to "hcll is a pocket edition o
Chicago"
Another Unpleasant Instance.
Again, 1t Is but year or two ago thai
another subject of the queen, justly
renowned for his genius. whose namc
will omit Difference and respect tt
his craft, absorbed to the fullest cXtenI
every courtesy ana kindness which on,
people generously offered him, ant
then rcquited the attentions that art
lists, authors, and every other class Oi
citizens could shower upon him--mcr
and women who loved his books ana At
ready half loved him-by indulging IL
d running fire of criticism in a Londor
journal, much more course and bruta
than any line he had ever penned, ant
so far as the facts were sustained
equally good fiction.
| repeat it: Is there not someone
who will compile a short concise form
ula to be handed to every IIngishm8r
who lands ON our shores, with plain
simple rules that may he OF service tx
ladies of renown, members of parlia
ment, and even authors, beginning
with the reminder that they are land
ing in country whose proverbial hos
pitality amounts almost to religion
a hospitality that has led our people
without discrimination of race or rank
to entertain every lady and gentleman
who steps on these shores. And that
despite the fact that in several notable
instances mistakes have been made by
them In the selections of their guests
nevertheless we Americans are still
willing to believe that these guest.
were not representatives of the grea
EiSlish nation, and that, therefore. II
future only close adherence to tn,
simple formula of good sense, goot
taste, and good heart will entltle al
newcomers to the benefits of liberty
equality, and fraternity. otherwise
not.
The Weekly. Tribune-s1 year in aal
vance,