The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-04

bOI anu llJOi dbuI0 buO 3 ~ dtCl PuIG VI
our modern education and culture
rests. To decry the laudable desire
of any one able to visit Europe savors
therefore, of provincialism rather
than of culture and education.
The broadening effect of travel up
on the individual, though of great
value, is one of the least of the bene-
fetal effects of this tide of travel upon
American character and institutions.
Americans are the most indefatigable
of travellers and the sum total of
American tourists in the different
parts of the globei is greater even than
that of the English, and perhaps equal
to that of all other nationalities COM
bined. The result is that there is no
more progressive, wide-awake people
upon the globe than the American.
An American traveller in Japan,
sees much that is estimable in the
manners, customs and institutions of
the Orient and at once begins kind
of propaganda for the introduction
in modified form of the same things
in America. Mrs. Potter Palmer
visits Moscow and witnesses the
Cars coronation and upon her return
comments Interestingly upon the
character of the Russian peasant and
incidentally gives practical informa-
ton as to the inadequate water sup
ply of that famed capital and its
probable effect upon the people.
On the other hand Mr.. Richard
Watson Glider, editor of the Century,
after visit to Europe brings back
word that conditions in European
cities are not as bad as in New York.
After an exhaustive study and inves
tigation of the tenement question
abroad he says: 81 found no tenem-
ent section in foreign cities as bad as
certain sections of New York.
"Even in the most crowded cities,
and particularly in London, the
danger to the dwellers in tenement
houses from fire, which is 80 great
here, has been largely eliminated" )"
Mr.. Glider also says the slum
sections in European cities are being
destroyed as fast as possible. SIN
London" he says, "this is done by
the building of model tenements
which are owned and managed by
the1municipality"
And SO it is with every traveller of
intelligence, from Marco Polo and Sir
John Vaudeville, to the thousands of
tourists who sailed last week for the
old world. These successive waves
of travel carry out wave of gold to
Europe every summer and thus de-
crease the amount of money to circu-
late in our own country. But this
must be regarded as an investment,
and as a rule these tourists bring
back value received for the gold they
have carried to foreign shores in
broader views, richer experience, and
all that tends to advance culture and
civilization.
Travel" as Bacon says in his
stately essay upon the subject, Gin
the younger sort is part OF educa-
tion; in the elder, part of expert
ence." Of course not all of this
tourist travel is beneficial to the
traveller himself or to his own country
when he returns. But to those prop
erly prepared it is one of the most
considerable agencies of education
and culture and it is to this kind of
travel that our own general advance
in culture is largely due. To the
tourist going or returning, Bacon's
admonition is applicable and timely:
LET it appear that he doth not
change his country manners for those
of foreign parts; but only prick in
some flowers of that he hath learned
abroad into the customs of his own
country"
ST. LOUIS, Mo.