The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-01-11
As IN A LOOKING GLASS
MANOEL DE OLIVEIRA LIMA
HOLDS THE MIRROR.
The Brazilian Secretary of Legation
Writes of American Politics, Ameri-
can Institution and American Social
Customs.

1t is always interesting to know
what other people think of us, says
William E. Curtis in the Chicago Rec
ord, and therefore a recently published
volume on Political and Social I'm
pressions in the United States" by
Manoel De Oliveira Lima, the scholarly
secretary of the Brazilian legation,
would doubtless receive the attention
that its Importance deserves if some
body would be enterprising enough to
translate it into English. 1t is written
in the Portuguese language, and is
chiefly intended to be read by Brazili-
ans. Therefore it deals especially with
those of the American problems that
the author believes to be most appli-
cable to his own country, such as the
future of the negro population, foreign
immigration, education the emancipa-
ton of women, corresponding moral
culture and the application of a repre-
sentative system of government in
widely different environments
Mr.. Lima is well qualified to discuss
the topics treated in his book because
he has studied the world under the
most favorable circumstances from sew
eral European and American capitals
He is a careful student, a man of
broad views and philosophical reflec-
tions. He points out our faults with
friendly finger and commends our
virtues with cordial qualification. He
has not written for North American
readers, as 1 have said, but he treats
each of his topics purely from a Bra
lillian standpoint, in order that his fell
low-countrymen may fully comprehend
them and apply the lessons they convey
for their own benefit.
Mr.. Lima finds the weak spots in our
political organization to be universal
suffrage and negro suffrage, and he be-
lieves our greatest danger lies in the
tn Ia he
ed class on the other hand for the neg
! lect of their political duties and for
permitting professional politicians to
| control the caucuses and conventions
and to nominate the candidates for
office. He deplores the number and the
influence of demagogues in the United
| states who devote their time and abiii-
ty to agitations which befuddle the
minds of the people and brighten poll
ticians who are afraid to offer the on
position that they feel. Mr., Lima
thinks we have too much policy and too
little principle among our public men,
which will continue until the educated
classes control political affairs.
On the other hand, he points out as
our characteristic national virtues en-
ergy, tolerance, industry, perseverance,
| self-control and a desire for culture,
which, in his opinion, as a rule are
lacking among the people of the Latin
race. lie recommends our school SYS-
tenn and particularly the facilities
afforded the poorer classes for acquir-
ing an education 1.-THE commercial and
industrial progress of the United States
and our internal improvements excite
his admiration; the intelligence and the
comforts of the common people and the
comfort and contentment of the home
life of the farmers and wage earners
astonish him. He discusses the re-
markable facility with which we have
assimilated the large foreign element
that comes into our population, and
most of all he admires our politica
freedom and the democratic spirl
which controls our public affairs. H,
discusses with commentator what i!
called "Americanism" in the catholic
church, the tolerance with which all re
ligions are treated. and commends on
foreign policy in high terms. He con
siders John Fiske the best type of phil
osophical culture and Mark Twain
works the ideal of light literature. 1
, is Mr.. Lima's opinion that such an evo
luton as we are now witnessing in thi
country was bound to come. and tina
} its roots are to be easily found in on
, former development, conservative AM
isolated as it might have appeared Z
some observers.