The San Francisco call., 1897-04-04

ing comparisons between poor Monsieur lie
Cure" at home and the fashionable preacher
in this country.
Readers of the newspapers viii recall the
humorous retort addressed by Mark Twain TO
Paul Bourget. who was reported TO have said
that when the American had nothing else to
do he devoted himself to fuoing out Who his
grandfather was; and the author o "Amerca
and the Americans" cannot resist making
passing reference to what may re called the
grandfat herlessness of this country He has
observed retired pork butchers and prosper
GUS dry-goods merchants using coats-of-arms
upon their carriages and crests upon their
note paper, and he comments: pray, Mrs.
Sharp, Mrs. Green, Mrs. White, Mrs. Black,
Mrs. Jones-pray. W here did your right 10 the
coronet. the crest and the coat-of-arms come
in? Do you even know what the various
symbols, signs and figures mean? l have my
doubts, truly And why-oh, why-do you
want them ct all?"
OF the American newspaper the author OF
America and the Americans" has not very
exalted opinion, though he confesses that the
contrasts noted in other phases oil American
existence are present here. He has no sooner
prepared to damn the new Journalism wnen
he is tempted into praise by dlSnlned eol-
torial in the Tribune, or clever hall column
in the Sun. His chief complaint seems 10 be
based upon our disregard of proportion and
Travelled and capa BILE mer not numer-
Gus as in France, England or Germany. He
also traces back the pedigree OF numerous
vices 10 the sensational American newspaper.
my own conclusion" he says, sis that unless
one happens upon such newspapers as the
Post the Sun or the Tribune in New York, for
example, he would be led to believe that tn g
population consisted of thugs, frebugs and
bankrupts, who for some unaccountab.e rea.
son spent large sums upon advertising"
Hero again speaks the generalizer. Having
compared the two, may safely say the
American press is neither better nor worse
than the French, though admittedly not up
to the English standard in some respects.
But, gentle critic, have you never seen ex
hibited in the kfosks of your beloved boule-
wards publications which it would be a
penal offense to either sell or purchase in
this country? And. hence, have you never
heard of little English proverb having refer.
ence to people domiciled in glas; houses
If there is one feature of the book before us
that is Objectionable 1t is to be found in a GER
tain undercurrent of anti-Semitism permeat-
ing the entire volume. There is really
neither wit nor humor in a statement 10 the
effect that the Mosaic spelling of the Egyptians
continues with unabsted vIgor in New York
at the present day, and we can find matter Tor
censure rather than for laughter in the re-
mark that Delmonico's restaurant at the
luncheon hour is veri liable sy ynagogue. Jew
batting at its best and clothed in its most at
tractive guise has always been failure in this
country, and If our critic is what he claims to
be-a republican of republicans, with his
birthplace in France-such expressions are, to
say the least, inconsistent.
1t would be impossible within the limits of an
article like the present 10 even name the nu-
merous good things to be found in America
and the Americans" From Yankee humor to
Yankee cooks every phase ana feature of our
life is touched upon in a bright, breezy and
entertaining manner. The majority OF our
institutions are condemned, but, in The same
breath, our author finds some means of con-
doning our faults. We are told in one chap
ter that We too democratic, and in the
next that we are not democratic enough, so
that the contradictions of American life, as
observed by our author, are only equaled by
those OF his notes. We entertain Hospitality,
our climate is intoxicating, our people op-
timistic, the material wealth enormous; but
we are far too lavish and profuse, and, unless
we give heed in time, says this prophet,
81 can see holders of American securities
in Europe literally dumping them back
upon the market here. l can see the social
jealousies that the Americans either cannot or
will not see exchanging surly looks for rifles
and frowns for gunpowder; and then / can see
these 20, 100000 people in such turbulent
death struggle will awe the world, even the
world which still hears the rs-echoing shrieks
and groans and laughter of our own revolu-
! ton. Thank God! you and will not be there
to see Please Godl it may be false vision and
l mistaken prophet But unless the people
here who know and have, awaken to some sort
o. sense of responsibility and the batter class
of newspapers cease to tamper with the dyna-
mite of c.ass prejudice trouble is sure TO
come" EMANUEL ELIAS