The evening times., 1899-04-27
at least to realize the liberty of which cur


forefathers dreamed.
When Americans began to study the his
tory of Spain. the conviction dawned on
most of them that Spain was doomed to a
speedy decay unless some unsuspected
source Of strength existed within her; and
they began to ask why the Latin races
have. during the last two centuries, been
Obliged to give way to the Anglo-Saxon.
They found that the general course Of
Latin civilization in this continent has been
retrograde; that ignorance, dirt, immoral
ity. and oppression, together with Official
corruption. characterized Spanish-America
in general. The lesson was plain enough
for the least enlightened to see. II Amer
lea does not wish to go the way Of Spain
she must avoid all these things. II we
become so intoxicated with material power
and wealth that we, as people. lose sight
of the Importance Of free government and
honest administration. and cleanliness OF
private life. the fact that we are Anglo
Saxons will not save US. though it may
retard our downward course for some gen.
erations, as a strong constitution retards
the progress of disease.
We have love Of freedom and fair play,
Of justice. and of the purity of the home.
as legacies from our fathers; to these
should be added many other virtues. We
must not only be ready to fight for our
own freedom, but determined to secure the
liberty OF the individual wherever the
American nag files. The American man
must not only be determined to preserve
the purity of his own home, but he must
see to it that the homes Of his neighbors
are kept safe from corrupting influence.
This does not mean that he must interfere
with other peoples private affairs, but that
he should defend honor. and gentleness,
and truth. wherever they are to be found;
that he should protect the helpless against
the strong and brutal: that he should give
to the world a new meaning of the word
gentleman.
The so-called gentleman of corrupt So
ciety respects-with exaggerated Difference
the women of his own class, while he
gives no honor to the woman Of the class
below him. He does not scruple to cheat.
tions different from his own. The man
who is a gentleman by nature. whether he
has any education or not. recognizes the
rights of the lowest as Of the highest; he
cringes to no one. he threatens no one, he
is as honorable in his dealings with one
as with another. He does not think 1t
necessary to shoot an inoffensive trades
man for jostling against him in a restau-
rant, nor does he feel insulted IL those who
have less education and less money than
he do not pay him humble attention. He
is not ashamed to do any sort of work.
but he would be ashamed to let others
work for him so long as he is able to sup
port himself. That is the true ideal of the
American gentleman. and 1t is attainable
by any man who really desires to be q gen.
tleman. The mists Of Old World ideals are
still about us. and there Is a hazy notion
in the minds of ignorant people that
money, or birth, or connection with
one circle or another is necessary for the
making Of real gentlefoik. That was not
the belief of the greatest Americans who
have lived. and when the fog Of false no.
tions is cleared out Of the eyes Of the peo-
pie 1t will be seen that the aristocracy of
real manhood Is the noblest and grandest
in the world. 1t is manhood that makes a
nation, and gives it long life and pros
perity and honor among other races and
other peoples