The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-14
LEARNING POLITENESS.
Improvement In Manners APP
parent In Washington Life.
STATESMEN CLEANER AND NEATER.
Not SO slouchy In Dress as They Used to
he. Not So Much Given to Tobacco Chew
ing and Whisky Drinking -Gambling No
Longer Popular.

| he. Not So Much Given to Tobacco Chew
Ing and Whisky Notwithstanding No
Longer Popular.
WASHINGTON, Jan. l4.-[Special. Tho
manners or the American people are con-
stantly improving. This was the observa-
ton made to me tho other day by an old
gentleman who had not been In Washing
ton for many years "When / was hero
before" he said, II saw things which did
not please me. / have always looked upon
the manners to be found i'm the capital of
the nation as Indicative of the manners OF
our people as whole. Aerefore 1 was
disappointed when / came here Just after
the war to find that tobacco chewing and
splitting and smoking cigars and all that
sort OF thing were too common among
our public men and in public places, to
say nothing of whisky drinking and pub
lie intoxication. On the occasion of my
first visit to the national capital, now
some twenty odd years ago, it was no rare
thing to see senator's or representatives
under the influence of liquor in their seats
or walking about the capitol In the
house there was a great deal of smoking
In the hall, where every one could SEQ it.
Cuspidors were everywhere, and when l
|
splitting habit in our beautiful capitol l
was not surprised that we had been lam
pooned for that by foreign writers.
"But now things are much better, con-
tinued this observing visitor 81 see that
smoking is no longer tolerated anywhere
in the halls or corridors of the capitol
building. In the house Of representatives
no one dares to smoke without retiring to
the cloakrooms or to a committee room.
The odious cuspidors have been banished
from the capitol too. They no longer dis
figure that splendid statehouse / have
seen very little public whisky drinking
during this visit, and they tell me the old
times, In which men could retain their
status and drink as much as they chose, so
they didn't positively disgrace themselves,
are gone forever.
Public Men Better Dressed.
Another change can notice, and it Is
for the better. The public men are better
dressed. They are not SO slouchy as they
were in the old days. Their manners arc
better in every way too In former times
members used to sit about the house of
representatives in all sorts Of postures. /
can remember seeing a score or more OF
members with their feet upon their desks
during a debate while ladies were in the
galleries. Was it any wonder that foreign
satirists roasted the United States and its
public men? In the days Of which l am
speaking Washington was full of gambling
halls 1t was considered quite the proper
thing for public men to gamble in these
saloons. Public opinion was then such
that even the most famous men could do
this with IMMUNITY. 1t would not be good
for famous senator or representative OF
these times to be known as a frequenter
of gambling halls"
f-Thu observations of this gentleman are
] supported by my own during the ten years
have been in Washington. Even in that
short time there has been an improvement
in the manners as well as in the morals OF
public men. They are attired with more
care. They exhibit more culture in their
speech They have taken OH an air Of
greater refinement and gentility. What Is
true of senators and representatives and
other officials is true also of the society of
the capital. 1t is constantly becoming a
more refined society. 1t is not SO long
now since Dolly Madison, even brilliant
Dolly Madison, took snuff publicly in the
White House. Nor is it SO very long since
our presidents drank whisky in a more or
less public manner, even serving it to
their callers OH both ordinary end extraor-
binary occasions.
An old resident of Washington told mo
the other day that in former times, dating
back Is or 20 years, the holiday season
here was generally a big carouse. The
| government departments were practically
closed for two weeks. Only pretense
was made at carrying on business. Most
of the clerks got drunk and made high
old time of it. Nowadays there is precious
little drunkenness among the clerks OF
the government and the holiday season is
observed here in manner quite as Chris
tian and becoming as anywhere else in the
land.
Poiiteness In Business Intercourse.
Politeness and gentility in business and
official intercourse are graces which might
we'll he cultivated to greater extent
than they are i'm this country. i was in
terested i'm reading that Mayor Van Wyck
of Greater New York had issued an order
that hereafter every one entering his ofllce
must first remove his hat. The wonder Is
that such an order should be necessary,
though any one that has frequented public
| offices knows it was necessary. In foreign
countries man would no sooner think OF
keeping his hat on his head in public
office than he would in private house.
I confess l like the custom which prevails
in Germany and Scandinavia, where every
man having business in n bank or other
Office removes his hat on entering.
Politeness Is of course q thing which can
be carried to an extreme, as 1t is In the
case of the British tradesman. The Lon
don shopkeeper is so polite that he Is
obsequious. He says "Thank you" like a
servant to every remark made to him by a
customer Tell London tradesman that
you think his price too high, and he will
say "Thank you" Observe that you do
not think his goods are what no represents
them to be, and he will reply sweetly,
"Thank you"
In Scandinavia another form of polite
ness is more to be admired. In those coun-
tries the tram car and omnibus conductors
deferentially lift their hats whenever a
passenger gets on or alights from their
conveyance. 1t IS very pretty and makes
n stranger think that we Americans have
much to learn in politencss But In the
busy hours of the day the poor conductors
have very little time left In which to at