Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-05-06

uuNo W WASH ~ Vic pump Ouu VI uOOrS.
Russian officers and many other eminent
personages, military and civil, are continu-
ally combing themselves in public. The
strictest martinez among us would not
hesitate to tic or rearrango his cravat in
public. If the cravat, n necessary article
of apparel save among certain statesmen
and friends Of man, may be made sprucer
out of doors, why may not the bootsp Car
rted to an extreme, the orthodox opinion
would forbid a man to pick a thread off
his coat or smooth the trosses Of his hair
out of doors. Can a man button his coat
in the street3 If SO, why SOP Should not
q rigid etiquette forbid an act which may
as one of external or superficial toilet?'
1t may be urged that analogy doesn't
apply to these mysteries of custom; that
the rule exists and has no need Of justi1-
cation. Wo summon example, then. We.
have seen Q prince of historic NAME, au-
thenticity guaranteed, o prince with a
Of the order of the Grown could hope to
shin up. Even such a prince have we
seen having his boots, shoes or CATERS pol
ished at a common corner stand in this
town. In tho language of the contempt.
A0AyI O4hoSACSs = 1p u U1l0 pl vi uollAAcJ.
and he paid 1t like a little prince, andsno
doubt he believed that he was showing a
graceful compliance with the customs Of
the country.
Still, we have but touched the bell of
the mystery. We have not entered into
the inner shrine. Let us go in, slamming
the door in the faces of tho narrow minded.
OF itself there is nothing moral or i'm
Sro0ro1 in bOuirce f,r,o5cI h0Nfc- h1on1,o1 {~
public. 1t is an action Indifferent. OBJ
lection: Tho majority Of bootblaok shops
are in front of barrooms. Answer: 1t is
better ITO be outside thar inside of a bar
room.
Thousands of artists aro now employed
in painting boots and shoes in the open
air or in public places. To take away from
them their means Of livelihood would be
to displace n large amount Of labor, pro.
duce suffering and trouble. TO this it may
be objected tfatif these diligent and frugal
artists arc not checked they will soon "
the town. Well, somebody must w it.
Docs it offend the sense of beauty and
harmony of things to have ono's boots
blacked in public? Answer: 1t depends
upon the feet. The artist always does his
best. Don't blame him, but sarcastic ma
ture. For our'own part we don't hesitate
to say thatto look upon a man who wears
a tall hat or "slicky," brilliant kid gloves
and other apparel~rich md rare, to look
upon him as he has his shoes keyed up to
the rest Of him, fills Vi and should fill ev-
cry other reasonable passerby with a new
sense of the imperious demand for the
beautiful. In tho education of the beauty
sense of the young this public polishing
must have q great part.
5. Formerly "guests" ut hotels used to put
out the boots at tho door Of their rooms
before going to bed and dumb servitors
blaokened tho same. We understand that
in most hotels and taverns the public
backing stand has driven the custom out.
You take the publicchair If you have no
private and luxurious retainers. You may
lose some dignity, but at least nobody will
steal your shoes.
Yet,there are delicate spirits averse to
publid,v and with q passion for etiquette.
Them eeneed not advise to shun the pub
lie polisher. Their shoes shouldabe pol
ished in secret. If they are of q frugal
mind and not averse to exercise, they can
do the polishing themselves. Honest labor
wears q lovely face. And even sturdier
natures must be shackled to some extent
by q dread of publicity. You may be bold
as a lion and yet not care to have your
bishop see you eating peanuts. And 1t
may be inoonvenient sometimes to be seen
in the chair of shine by naughty aoquaint-
ances. The tender souled may seek some
place remote from their habitual route.
One may not care to have the final SPLEEN
dors Of ones toilet witnessed, perhaps gig
gled at, by ''lady friends" but in q dem
ooratic government people are supposed to
have the right to do as they please, subject
to the law and SO long as they hurt no.
body else. The public backing stand is q
democratic institution, although not a free
Observation-Disclosures York Sun.