The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-03

THE DECADENCE OF MANNERS.
Mr.. John Gilmer Speed, in an article
in Ainsee's, bewails the decay OF good
manners IN America. From the most
courteous people In the world, with the
Observation-Disclosures OF the English, the
simplicity of the Germans and the polish
of the French" we are becoming a ma
ton OF Doors, he fears. Men no longer
remain uncovered while conversing with
women. They do not put themselves to
trouble or inconv enience to accommodate
the weaker sex with seats in street cars.
They smoke in the presence OF women.
and do other unmannery things that
would not have been thought OF fifty
years ago. Mr.. Speed draws most of his
Illustrations of bad manners from New
York City. He goes to the Manhattan en-
trance to the Brooklyn bridge during the
rush hours and finds there a pushing,
showing, struggling mass of humanity.
every man for himself and the devil take
the hindermost. Women's clothes are
torn, and men climb on the cars from
the wrong side and appropriate the seats.
paying no attention to the women stand
ing. There Is no courtesy for the sex on
the bridge.
He goes to the elevated railroad and
finds similar condition Of affairs. All
is rush and selhshness, without one
thought being given to that difference 20
women that distinguished the grandfath-
ers. In the social gatherings the ten
dency towards decay of manners is also
seen. Mr.. Speed tells of seeing a college
man, freshly graduated and member of
one of the good families" dancing a
waltz with young girl and at the same
time smoking a cigarette. And the girl
thought nothing -amiss! On another oc-
casion he saw gentleman and lady, both
or high standing, conversing together on
a street corner. The gentleman continued
70 smoke his cigar and keep his hat on.
When they separated their parting cry
was, "Wen. so long!" At the hotels the
men Toll in their chairs, put their feet
higher than their heads, and smoke I'm
the presence of ladies'.
Mr.. Speed gives many Illustrations OF
what he considers the bad manners of
the period, as contrasted with the man
ners of half a century ago, drawn from
New York. Happily however, New York
is not the whole country. In other Sec
tions, and especially in the South, there
still remains very largely in practice that
code Of social ethics which marks the
well-bred man and woman. We have not
yet reached that point at which CONNER
cialism smothers courtesy. This Is rec
ognized by Mr.. Speed, but he asserts
that the East sets the pace that Is follow.
ed by the West and South. What is in
vogue in New York reaches San Fran
cisco and New Orleans sooner or later.
and the nearer place sooner. IL New
York is rude. it is to be expected that
the rest OF the country viii become in
fected with the bacillus of rudeness, he
says.
The differences OF environment, however.
are to be taken into consideration. New
York is a crowded hive One doesn't
know or care anything about the people
met with on the streets. The very vast
ness of the throng begets selfishness.
which soon becomes a part Of the New
York residents nature. 1t may be, too.
that the entrance of women into lines
OF business heretofore monopolized by
men, has good deal to do with the fail
ing of that Difference and courtesy to-
wards women which men formerly exer-
cised. If the women are to be treated
as one Of them in business, the men fai;
to perceive why they should not be SINH
larly treated in other respects.
1t may be that we are in danger of
having our manners corrupted by the
great cities, but the danger does not now
appear to be imminent except to the
smaller cities that themselves grow great.
The great mass of the people-the plain
people-know little and care less about
the society manners Of the great cities.
They are by nature kindly and deferential.
especially towards women, and so long
as they retain that characteristic there
is little likelihood of America, as a whole,
becoming a nation of boorish manners.