Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-01
GAY AND CONFIDENT.
An Interesting Characterization Of
the American Masses.
An English Labor Leader Gives His Views on
Our People.

and master spirit in the great Londo,
dcckers' strike Of 1889, was a delegate
= to the recent convention of tn,
American Federation Of Labor n
Scranton. and afterward attended tn,
National Civic Federation conference,
of capital and labor in New York. HI,
has written his Impressions of thu
Making of an American" for tn,
London Express. from which the fol
lowing extracts are taken:
While in England the Hebrew. the
Latin races, the Teuton and the Scan.
dinavian retain nearly if not all theil
racial characteristics. Here in Amer
lea man finds it hard not to be abb
scrbed in the milllike process of pro-
ducing a distinctly American type OF
individual. The Italian offers the most
Resistance TO the operation of Ameri-
canizing, but even these become Amer
leans, speaking with easy familiarity
of our country when abiding to
America.
1t is amusing to hear an American
German speak with all the abandon of
a down Easter" He speaks humor-
ously of towing the British Islands
over and anneXing them to America"
He also is carried away with the be-
lief that he is just going to lick Gre
alton in general and England in par
ticular when it comes to trade. The
| assumption of superiority, of agrees
sive self-confdence, is refreshing to
say the least.
| We are not so lively an imaginative
race as the American continent is pro-
ducing, but the American, although he
may not be worth two cents. will
speak with easy grace Of millions.
| Carnegie, Rockefeller, the Goulds
could not believe more in their own
personal worth than the American of
the second or third generation speaks
of his worth as an American cit:Zea.
Mafficking enthusiasm is mere
hysteria compared to the ingenious
but deep-rooted conviction that to be
an American citizen "is the greatest
thing on earth"
The air is clearer in the big cities
than what we ever expect to get in the
| Old Country. The individual worker is
| less of a subordinate in America than
he is at home in England. He takes
Il great pride in his work, encouraged
to do so not only by more wages, ac-
cordng to merit. but because he feels
he is part and parcel of the economy
of industrialism, being consulted by
the management whenever capacity is
shown.
His intelligence is taken for what 1t
| is worth while in England the same
individuals intelligent interest in his
| work would be taken as presumption,
and he would likely be discharged for
his impudence in daring to have or
use his brains. Although the speciali-
cation and division of labor here is
really a science, yet at the same time
most of the intelligent workmen take
an interest in the product. which may
be the result of combined labor, SUBJ
divided to minute simplicity. The
erection Of a huge building towering
up 80 and more stories is a matter of
interest keenly debated.
The iron and steel worker, producing
| the great framework, sees in his mind
the completed whole, and his relation
| in part to the great edifice. He notes,
with some sort of class conceit, that
| Mr.. So-and-SO, who is a millionaire.
once pushed barrow or swept
street or mined. He would be more
than surprised if he were rebuked for
speaking as an intimate friend of the
person who has become rich.
| The American workman will sit at
supper with the richest, at the same
hotel. or take part at any civil. social
or state function. Being an individual
forever aspiring to comprehend and
take part in the business of trade. gov
eminent and administration, his very
ldesire to be considered an important
part of the greater whole of social life
lcompensates for his incompetence
loften for the lesser part of social du-
ties.
He is not modest by any means; but
his audacity, his contempt for any
lformality, his cynicism for red-tape.
lin whatever manner or place the latter
imay be exercised, save him from little
mess. The press of America, although
it may fout his power, never treats
his rights with contempt-that, at
least may be said of the typical Amer
lean press. No one whines about him,
sncers at him. breaches to him. con-
dennis him: and perhaps that is large
ly the reason why he has such an esti-
mate of himself.
He is just a good talker, eater.
ldrinker, dresses well. works hard,
wants u lot of leisure-gets it, too; is
a robust, boastful, energetic fellow;
lswears by the Constitution he has.
perhaps. never read, and in conse-
ouence knows but little of, and is al
together a burned proposition" not to
be ignored.
There is but little racial exclusive
ness in his social Enthusiastically any at
Ian in his working life. His opposition
to the lower order of foreigners is en-
ltirely owing to the fact that these are
more slavish in their drudgery than
the more highly paid and independent
Americans. One point also which has
only been half told by the numerous
critics of British workmen is that
American workmen will do more work,
will consent to do so without grumb-
lirg, 50 long as it adds to the effective