The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-10-27


rope" Such is the terrible charge
made by. an American who has travel
ed widely and seen much of the world
and of society. While the burden of
proof rests with the affirmative, we
can at least consider the indictment.
To read the political billingsgate OF
the campaign one would agree with the
cynical American, manners have dis
appeared. At the same time I am
amused and edited by an extract from
the Brooklyn Eagle. In speaking OF
the Manners of Campaign" it admits
the various protruding weaknesses that
offer a fine basis for decorative cpl
thets. In spite of tissues that put
strain on courtesy" the Eagle main
tains that this campaign is distingu-
ished for amenity, and is not to be
mentioned in the same breath with the
blackguardism of the Blaine-Cleyeland
campaign or the Acknowledgement
scurrility Such epithets as gold-bug,
boy-orator, popocrat, demipop, anar-
chists and regulators are merely
"hurtIess. The Eagle maintains that
their fewness is seen by comparing
with other campaigns.
In spite of the hopeful Brooklyn Ea-
gle. l sometimes fancy that in America
manners have already gone out, espe-
cially in our colleges for men, where if
ever we expect to find the genus gen.
tleman. l felt this most keenly in
reading of the disgraceful scene at New
Haven when Bryan attempted to adj
dress the gentlemen. l am no silver
democrat. but l am a most ardent be
lever in courtesy and fairness, and l
should nevermore be inclined to sing
Ito good old Yale" but for the fact that
MANY 'townies'' were with the college
men. and may partly bear the blame
for the riotous occasion. In spite OF
Mother Yale's many excellencies she
evidently doesn't train her boys to
good manners, or else the dear old
lady has very little influence on their
boisterous spirits. There might be
some hope for her if she had hundred
or more daughters in her nursery. I'm
til she does I'll send my boys to row
in some other varsity crew.
1t might be a splendid thing to send
our daughters to college even for the
sake of civilizing the men, their hypo-
thetical fellow-students. 1t might be
unfair to the girls, but it would not be
the first unfair condition girls have
met in life. and it might be healthful
Of 10
men. If our college culture does not
produce gentlemen, where shall we
look? We need not ask that, for it
does produce men, true American gen
tlemen, than whom there are none finer
to be found in the world, as their
mothers and sisters and sweethearts
and friends find by travelling to other
countries 1t seems TO be in college
and in politics that you scratch the
man and find the rowdy. In other re-
lations of life Americans are not lack
ing in the kindness of heart that
prompts to courtesy, although they
may be lacking the finished manners of
European courts. Let us not give over
training our boys and girls alike to
universal good-humor and kindness
and tact, for everybody and on every
occasion.
In a recent Nineteenth Century you
may read how gracefully the Earl OF
Meeth takes UP the challenge of our
American in behalf of Great Britain.
He thinks, certain circles excepted,
there is more genuine courtesy to be
found between man and man in Brit
ain than in France" He lays the blame
of the universal disfavor in which he
admits Englishmen are regarded to po-
litical jealousy of foreigners and to in
dividual Englishmen, due to their in
science or to the ignorance of the Gus
toms of the country where they may
chance to be. He winds up in a splen-
did peroration that cannot resist TAX
ing entire.
If thoughtful people perceive that
much is lost to mankind, collectively
and individually, by negleeting to study
and to practice the little courtesies OF
life, then let them not by negligence,
and as it were, unbeknown to them
selves, permit these habits to pass
away without a struggle to maintain
them. a true gentleman is naturally
courteous-he could hardly be the re-
verse if he tried; but in these days
when so many lay claim to the title
who possess few of the qualifications OF
gentility. it may be well to point out
that a courteous manner is quality
which especially in the days of present
rudeness. possesses a distinctly com
mercial value If British boys and
girls were taught to subordinate self
to respect their neighbors, and in non
essentials not to run counter to Their
preiudices. we should probably in a
few years find that although for poll
teal reasons Great Britain might still
maintain that splendid isolation OF
which we have heard so much, her
people were no longer disliked, but
by their politeness and urbanity had
won the respect and friendship of for
eigners, and had thereby increased
the influence of their own country,
and taken the most effective steps to
diminish the chances of international
misunderstanding
What a motive for. courtesy, what a
responsibility for the patriot OF every