Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-01-23
EARD M'ALLISTER'S VIEWS.

seally Thinks a Gentleman May Engage
In Certain Lines OF Business.
During the period of our civil war So
ciety became utterly demoralized, and
many persons alnassed fortunes by stocks
and gold speculations, and government
contracts came to the surface by their
reckless extravaganza, says Ward Nc
Allister in his wise way in the New
York World Then came the period of
railway spectators, many of them gen.
uine railway robbers, as they acquired
fortune in dishonest and reckless man.
ner, but under our modern leniency we
do not care how man acquires his for
tune SO long as he is clever enough to
escape the prison walls.
At present we are just coming to the
reign of the great shopkeepers Shop
keeping has changed SO in 90 years that to
manage one of our great dry goods, gro
Gerry or tailoring establishments requires
the ability of a general. The modern
shopman is no longer cringing and serv-
lie, but holds up his head as high as the
man who patronizes him.
In the second generation the old time
prejudice which formerly existed van
ishes, and undoubtedly in few years
the millionaire proprietors of our great
Broadway and Sixth avenue stores will
be knocking and demanding admission
to society's exclusive functions.
There is undoubtedly set here who
might be termed reactionary who fight
against this impending change, but our
old family element, l am afraid, must
content themselves with their meetings
of Colonial Danes, Colonial Wars and
other kindred societies, and acknowledge
that tthe old order changeth.
The question now arises:
Can tradesman be a veritable gen.
tleman?
reply unquestionably, yes.
The idea of what constitutes gentle
man is very varied, and definition is
perhaps different in America from the
definition in England. In a general sense
in this country it applies to every one
who is not blackguard, as one work
ingman will say to another, ''Be gen.
tleman,' or, Behave yourself like
gentleman.
But of course this is not the idea that
propose to discuss. The point is: Is it
possible for man engaged in trade to
have all the instincts and feelings of
true gentleman, Or does the continual
striving after gain give SLOPPY and
commercial tinge to his whole nature?
This depends upon the man himself.
In London man in ''the city" is not
usually found in the drawing rooms of
the aristocracy, the only exceptions be-
ing where man of good family, usual
ly a younger son, has secured good
berth for himself, possibly with very
little to do but draw his salary, or where
a young man has inherited from his fa-
ther business which is carried on for
him by his partners, but undoubtedly
man is bit ashamed there of being i'll
trade, and the army, the navy, the
church and diplomacy are considered a
more correct career for a young noble
man or gentleman if his means will per
NIT
In America all this is different
A young man on finishing his educa-
tion here is generally very anxious to
get to work and find some opportunity
to commence a business career. Our
young men of family and fortune rarely
think of the army, navy and diplomacy
and still less of the church. Not that
these careers do not contain many es-
timable persons, but they are certainly
not regarded with as much favor as the
legal profession or as commerce, bank
ing, engineering or mining. Take, for
instance, young men after completing
their education in England and Amer
ica-they are at that period of their life
much alike-and then take them 1 5 years
later Are the Americans any the less
true gentlemen for having spent that
time in the rush to secure fortune, or
does it blunt all their finer sensibilities?
The Duke of Argyll answered this
question conclusively, for he put all his
younger sons in trade
They are not necessarily any the less
true gentlemen.