The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-17
AMERICAN MEN SCORNED.
Yankee Woman Writes to a British
Newspaper That the Masculine Briton
Makes by Far the Better Husband.


Gable Letter in the Sun.
The American colony in London is a
little in doubt whether to be amused
or angry over the means employed by
young woman from California 10
gain sudden and cheap notorlety. II Is
only in England, perhaps, that for
eigner can hope to gain favor by de-
nouncing his own countrymen or by
flattering those whom he visits at the
expense Of his own kith and kin. To
make a sober reply to such attacks Is
good deal like opening fire with a
battery of artillery to drive away a
few mosquitoes. 1t is not necessary 10
name the mosquito in this Instance. for
her buzzing has not been heard since
the broadside which her annoyance
provoked has been fired.
The Daily Chronicle, a newspaper
whose recently developed affection for
America Is open to suspicion, pUnted
very prominently a few days aga an
article discussing the mental, moral,
and spiritual qualities of the average
American man as compared with those
Of an average Englishman. The writ
er, who subscribed herself IAN Ameri-
can Woman" did not hesitate to de-
clare her countrymen inferior to their
English cousins in all respects. In
fact she described her countrymen as
contemplate creatures, unfit for the
society Of women, and indeed hope
less from social point of view. Here
are q few of her most delightful SEN
tences:
mo two races on this earth are so
dissimilar as those of the United States
and Great Britain" An Engl.shman Is
"a superior being, Of active brain,
much travel. experience with women
and certain desire to please:
american men are an eccentric
growth, hodgepodge flung together
in a galloping money-grabbing civil
lization. not fully known to them
selves" IT have known some fifty
American men more or less intimately.
acquaintance with one whose soul had
passed the embryonic state In
America we all like and admire our
fathers and brothers, but we haven't
any great admiration for our hus-
band, although we may be rather fond
of them in a patronizing way"
A REPLY.
The first suspicion which arose in
the minds of most American readers
of this diatribe was that the editor of
the Chronicle had played a dastardly
trick upon his contributor by substl-
tuting English" for american" and
american" for English" throughout
the article. Then it was imagined that
the queer screed must conceal some
joke or be intended as a yelled sarcasm
directed against certain well-knoan
English foibles. Nobody thought Of
being irritated or of taking the thing
seriously until 1t began to be seen that
the ineffable and Incompatible English
conceit was solemnly accepting this
H-I H.. .rsA 20
England and all things English. 1t
was this exasperating fact, no doubt,
which induced Helen Densmore to un-
dertake the task Of making q sober
reply to this really harmless traducer
of American manhood. As Miss Dens-
more is really well qualified to contrast
the men and the society of the two
countries, 1t Is interesting to read a
few Of her frank comments as the re-
suit Of her observations. For instance,
she says:
IN England, I have been amazed to
observe, my lord, the husband, Is a
creature apart; that the wife vies with
the servants in seeing to it that the
master is first and always considered;
that the tit-bits. the comfortable chair,
and the warm corner are reserved for
him. I am not blaming him; We are
I'LL ulOlC vi iCSS SACdtuiCo oA civil
ment; and the master has occupied
his position so long that he takes his
place quite as a matter Of course. And
as long as English women are content
with this arrangement it Is probably
better for them. But when 1t is put
forward that the average American
woman is under the glamour of, and
is full Of admiration for, the foreign
husband, must demur. Enough Of
them have floated across the Atlantic
that his peculiarities. in contrast with
the American husband, are quite we'll
known; and SO far as my acquaintance
goes the average American wife counts
1t among her blessings that she has
escaped the domination, and conse-
Quent degradation. And, according to
my observation. many English wives
are in much the same frame Of mind
as their American sisters, 50 far as
preferring equality and comradeship to
the airs and condescensions Of the
MASTER first came to London, over
twenty years since. On . mission from