The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-14
KEEP THE CHANGE"
Mary Kyle Dallas Presents the Broad and
Humane Side of the Subject.


Humane Side of the Subject.
Any one who has glanced over the
newspapers of late must be aware of the
fact that columns are devoted to cru
SADIE against the giving of tips; that
long letters and brief paragraphs, lay
sermons and comic verses are written
for the purpose of preventing the well
to do from presenting to people of that
class which will accept such kindness
trifles of money for which they have not
actually worked, some writers declar-
ing that tips are "exacted" in many
places and are a sort of robbery, others
taking the high ground that the giving
of tips degrade the recipient.
The former claim is utterly false.
Tips are eXacted nowhere. 1t is always
perfectly possible to go anywhere in
America or Europe, paying only the
regular bills and ignoring the expecta-
tions Of servants. Any landlord will see
that guest is waited upon if he is in
formed of neglect in that particular. As
for the degradation of the person who is
told to keep the change" or has his
or her palm crossed with silver, that is
pure humbug. A servant, a messenger,
porter or any other employee in the
way of receiving such tokens of appre-
citation only feels that he is being paid
little more than is in the bond by a
person who is not obliged to do so, and
am very sure that you will not credit
the colored waiter behind your chair in
restaurant with any greater nobility of
nature if no one ever gives him quar-
ter than if every patron of the establish
ment should do so. The plain fact is
that this crusade against the tip is only
an effort to save those who cannot afford
or do not wish to offer such largesse
from pangs of false shame or from CIV
ing simply and solely because some one
else does. All the preaching on the SUBJ
ject is simply waste of breath. Neither
the impecunious nor the niggardly can
prevent good humored man, with his
pockets full of money, from saying
keep the change whenever he is so
inclined, and l am delighted to know it.
Rich people ought TO give, people
who have anything at all are in duty
bound TO give, and waiter is an excel
lent person 10 bestow triie Of silver
upon. He works very hard for small
wages, on which without these little
additions he would suffer, for he gener
ally has people dependent upon him.
Even if he has not, why should you at
tempt to prevent man who has eaten
or drunk So or $40 worth of delicacies
from giving % cents to the man who
stood behind his chair meanwhile? Do
not give it yourself if you are not in
clined. To quote the Turkish proverb,
"Give only what your soul consents to
and feel no shame that it is but a
! mite.
1t may even be that in your own case
you are right-you certainly are if you
must be unjust and dishonest in order
| to be generous-but let the other fellow
who "has money to burn" tip all the
folk in Christendom who will open their
palms if he likes. Don't expect him to
| stop because he thus makes it apparent
that you are not as rich as he, and if he
! wins few extra brushes of his coat or
| q more impressive bow or more ice water
| by it, don't grind over the fact those
are his tips for his good nature AS for
boys, tip never hurt boy yet. Boys
are dependent creatures, not yet pos
sessed of length or strength or knowl-
edge, and if thrown on their own re.
sources, work for 50 or SO a week,
which they very generally take home
to mother" In England every boy, high
or low, rich or poor, is tipped as mat.
ter of course and expects it, and here in
America it will never prevent news
boy from getting to the White House If
he is already OH his way there to say
keep the change" when the paper is 3
cents and you have given him cents
And unless you are very badly off it
will not hurt you either.
MARY KYLE DALLAS