The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-26
KICK! BROTHERS, KICK!
MARX TWAIN APOSTLE OF A RE-
FORM IN EVERYDAY MANNERS.
II No, for Your Own Sake, Kick for ihe
Mex. Mans Sake or the Next womsns
Petty Discou,tcsy and Imposition.

reformcr may seem TO be out OF MS ioi''
hut Mr.. Clemens had put by the MASK
md spoke earnestly. In the COURSE VI
conversation he was asked II IN ms i"S'
trim 10 France. from which ne mas JUS.
r..,,rncd. he had noticed any new haDi'
:. fad ~ the people that differed from
ahose a, home. -.
81 don't recall anything startling just
now" he said. II am not one OF those
travellers who seek I'm a foreign country
FOR something they do not Ike. SO many
pcople. especially in writing about other
countries, seem to view them as III from
nm eminence, and look down upon ahu
0ecry what they do not like. IL makes
not the slightest difference TO the people
of the country. Your opinion IS OF no
value TO them. do like 10 lock for some
thing wherever I go among foreign peo-
ples that we can adopt at home WIN
benefit 20 ourselves or advantage ~
America as a nation. In many ways
think we are ahead Of all. but believe
there may be good points found by care
full observation of other peoples.
'In the last four years / have crossed
fhe Atlantic fifteen times. Every time
/ get back 20 New York | see things
on every hand that | think are~bsiter
than what | have Just been accustomed
TO- They keep coming up here, there
there again, and yondor. But every nov
and then 1 see something that isn't so
nice. Did it ever occur TO you 10 nOtlce
how dlscOurtcOus we are az people IN
our cities? In common life. mean.
Yesterday / was In one OF these great
stores where they sell about everything
one wants and where there are thou
sand clerks. | was waiting for my pur-
>base when n lady walked up 10 the
Ia.l oil 40
repeated. in gallant tone and shaking
his head in his peculiar manner by way
OF emphasizing his admiration for her
kind while he deprecated the weakness
he was about 10 report. There stood the
salesgirl behind the counter. With the
air Of one asking favor the lady asked
81 she could see some article OF apparel
that goes about the waist.
What's y'r size?' said the salesgirl,
brusquely.
80 don't know said the lady, mildly.
Here measure y'rself. and the girl
snaked a measuring tape from under the
counter and handed It to the customer.
A purchase was made. and then. from
the salesgirl. abruptly: Pay fer't now
or send II homer
81 will pay for 1t here
'Cash-cash.cashl' and that was all.
agsin? Aren't we oil that way? Doesn't
s.man do the same at hotel? strang-
or enters hotel Office. The clerk glanc-
cs up. sees that IL is not one Of the re-
9iilar patrons. and goes on with his work.
The man registers end asks-asks-if he
can have such and such kind of a room.
The clerk swings the register around.
scratches a number opposite the guests
name. and yclls: Front, Show the gen
tleman to y 49, There's the Same dis
courtesy without "A word. The man ask
cd a question. The clerk said not a word
except TO summon the porter. II isn't
always what is said 10 US: it's the way
In which II is said or the manner Of the
person that really offends us. and this
when we have not been offensive in word
or manner. but have been polite.
There is none of MS who would relish
such treatment as the lady received at
the big store; yet we are silent. or IL
we complain. we do not complain IN the
right place, and so get little redress
Abroad, people are not likely TO be sub
Jected to such treatment and If they
are they complain to the highest In au-
thority. and get better attention. Urtn
This time l have latterly on my return
from across the water put up at the
Players Club. and / have always been
impressed with the conversation OF the
men. who were telling each other of some
trouble they had had during the day on
the street car or elevated railroad lines.
1t seemed to me an odd thing that there
should be such difficulties so frequently.
and | asked If the sufferers had made
Yes. that had, but | found
that II was only to some one above the
offender. not TO the responsible head.
That IL wrong. If we want courteous
treatment we have got to see 10 IL that
of abusive treatment are
made TO the proper people"
do yv hold. then, that discourtesy
is TO be reformed 10y complaint"
IL do. Twenty-Five years ago the gem
efal experience in this country was that
II you addressed railroad conductor you
got an insolcnt or a grun answer At
that time IL you wanted TO go from here
10 Hartford or to Boston, for instance.
the chances were that you would have TO
stand up. and II you asked for a seat the
would either tell YOU dis
agrecably that there was none. or ne
would not answer you at all have seen
those cars with the aislcs filled as those
OF your surface cars are. and request
for a seat would be answered by abuse
one mani ought not TO have forgotten
his name. but | do not just now recall
It--stood for his rights. He demanded "A
seat. and insisted that one be given TO
him. They told him bluEtly there was
none. The matter was carried to the
courts. and II was very promptly decided
that railroad company must give a
man seat or pay damages. Now you
have no difficulty IN getting a seat if
you only insist quietly but firmly on hav-
ing one, even If the company has to put
.xsfr Ill
try now the railroad conductors usually
answer you civIlly.
Just lately. going down town on an
elevated train. | stood under the cave OF
a car behind car that was crowded
At one OF the stations there we're many
people in the crowded car who wanted |
10 get on. and although most OF them fol- |
lowed one another as closely as possible, |
IL took them "a long time 20 get of When |
all were out except TWO men and a wo- |
man. who carried child the guard pulled |
the rope and The train went ahead The |
men jumped. but the woman could not |
and had not the men caught her she |
might have been seriously injured. | /
Mas busy but noted the guards num- |
Der and the cars number and the time. |
had all the facts. and when we got I
DOWN town l turned aside from my bust |
ness and went TO the Wcstern Union |
Building and sent In my card 10 George /
Gould. told him came to make a COM |
plant. but not in malice and that |
wanted him 10 promise first that II the |
guards record was good he would only |
be reprimandcd. Mr.. Gould did so. In |
three minutes he had done by telephone |
all that was necessary. The guards re-
cord was good. and he was only repri-
'nanded. l think that guard will be more