Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1901-03-01
Az ELDERLY NAVAL sSor

1nat eminent aud elderly DaShl
man, Rear.Aduiral w. T.. Sampson,
has written a sweet-scentei bro
chure on the function OF the navy Ill
time OF peace in which be p~rescrb-s
the caste distinctions that shall be oh
served in all promotions from the
gun deck to the ward noon.
This little work on naval etiquette
prepared by this eminent social
authority insists that ability to at
tend aristocratic tea parties IN time
OF peace without disclosing the
fact that the invited guests are OF
plebeian origin shall be the STANDARD
upon which all applications OF war
ant officers Of the navy for promo
ton shall be granted.
The ancient mariner who thus at
tempts to Beau Brummel the Ameri-
can navy Submits that in time of
peace the uavy's function consists, TO
a certain extent, "of representing the
country abroad; and 1t Is important
that the navy's representatives,
should be men Of at least refine
ment."
II Is fortunate for Rear.Admiral
Beau Brummel Sampson that IN
time Of peace the navy's function
does not consist il representing
SSe syntax Of the country abroad.
II one OF the ~social adyantages-
required OF a Rear Admiral repre-.
sentlng the country abroad were a
knowledge OF tue rudiments OF
grammar, this marine glass OF
fashion, this mould of naval form,
would be a utterly barred from
participation Ill the Cocial functions
OF the navy as any OF the gunncrs
whom he nov dectries as lacking tile
refinement" necessary TO mIngle
with the people who send their
names to the newspapers for Publica.
ton i'll the @socirty columns"
John Paul Jones would not sub
scribe to the rules OF etiquette pre-.
ecribed by Rear.AdmiraI Chester.
field Sampson, but then John Paul
Jones was not an American and had
old fashioned Scotch notions con.
corning the quality of men who
knewhiw to fight.
II was the opinion OF john Paul
Jones that a fighting man WAS tit
to associate with the best OF men,
but John Paul Jones did not regard
the a%rlstocrats Of the Sampson type
fit to associate with fighting men-so
there you are-and it is u far cry from
the man who fought the SerapiD tn
the man who was in at the death at
Santiago.
john Paul Jones wrote no books or
letters On the social etiquette Of tie
navy 4in time Of peace"-he was too
busy teaching maDner to the rear.
sdmirals OF the British navy and
from all accounts he never skipped
the german at a Newport function
or posed as the hero OF a hundred
fights at a pink tea.
Possibly Rear. Admiral Sampson
would hRye objected to John Pau
Jones as n Representative Of the
country abroad
1t Is hard to believe that this Rear.
Admiral OF the American navy is a
ineal descendant VI the Samson who
slew the PhilistiDes, and il would
seem to be more in keeping with the
modern theory OF heredity il the
Sampson ~geuealogy could be traced
to the primal genearch that turuished
the weapon with which the son OF
Monoah OF the tribe OF Dan slew the
enemies OF Israel.
Tho snob is a d~isagreeable persor
in any condition, but when he at,
tempts TO inject his snobbery into
the lie OF a democracy that recog
niZes no a%ristocracy save that OF
merit and ability he becomes insuf.
ferable.
II is logical to INSERT, therefore,
That Rear.Admiral Sampson, the
belated hero Of Santiago. is not only
a snob, but that no belongs to the
variety OF snob that is iusuGerable.-
6 L. poat