The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-09-11
The John Wesley Games Mystery.

Saws the Washington Post:
"Perhaps nothing can be done atout
it, but every patriotic citizen Will
Join us in regretting the annoyance 10
which the Hon. John Westley Gaines,
of Tennessee, has been subjected IN
London. 1t appears that MIR. Gaines
was STONED on the street constantly by
shabby and ratfish looking persons
who after inspecting him carefully,
would say: You are an American
It went on without interruption
thong out the period of his stay IN the
British capital. Five or six times q
day, whether in the park or on the
public thoroughfares or In the cafes
and lobbies of the more pretentious
in fact, queer
men, with speculation in their eyes.
would hold him up and ask II he was
not an American. -------------
I'VE cannot imagine why the Hon.
John Wesley Gaines took offense at
this and upbralded his lnterlocutors
with that bllghting eloGuence for
which he is justly famous Such an
overture might we'll have given UNI
bragg to New York or Washington
arlstocrat who has all his life en-
deavored to look like an Englishman-
In that event 1t would have been
case of shattered hopes and grim
despair and every reason why the nm
yelled wretch should Cry out .ip his
agony. But of course there could be
no condl tions of this kind in connect
ion with the Hon. John Wesley
Gaines. He is an American. He
is proud of it, Nothing. we venture
to say, could induce him to stop being
an American. In spite OF the most
allur,ng temptations, he would remain
one. 1t is inconce1vable, therefore
that he should have resented these
lnterrogatories as an exposure On
the contrary, he must have regarded
them as tribute to his appearance.
And vet we hear that he was indlR-
usnt, and that on number OF highly
imr ressive occasions he SPOKE. to the
pei sons In question with the utmost
severity. =.
''How these strangers recogniDed
him with such J nneyEsne accuracy
is another cause OF mygihca-
tion. AS we see Hon. John Wesley
Gaines he might easily be we'll
proomeu, we'll dressed, well ,mannereU
Young Englishman of the better class
He is betrayed. possibly, by an ex-
cessi We personal pulchrItude by an
almost unearthly splendOr In the
matter of his neckties. and by IN s1-
preston of unspeakable RESPONSE brlrty
for the Constitution of the United
States as conveyed by his shoulders
and his legs We hardly THINK, how
ever, that the average Enghshman
would observe this or interpret 1t. for
the average Englishman cannot posi-
bly have an idea OF the perils by
which our Constitution Is beset or OF
the sacrifices Mr.. Gaines has made,
practically single handed. In the canse
of it's preservation. Upon the whole We:
give 1t up Returning to our original
attitude of regret over the persecution
to which Hon. John Wesley Gaines, Of
Tennessee. has been subjected. 20
many things are going on just now, we
find it impossible 70 devote to this
sub1ect the prayerful and int essant
thought its Importance really Calls
for.
'tOf course there will be impairment
and ribald persons to suggest that ME-
Gaines prosecutors were Americans
themselves, who had seen his pid nre
in the Ladies Home journal ana read
his speeches-a few hunaYed OF the I'd,
at any rate--in the esteemed C0ngres-
sional Record, and who. BY virtne OF
that recognition, sought to touch him
en- PEASANT. This theory, however, ~
not worthy OF respectful notice. We
dismiss IL with scorn. Some day the
mystery Will be revealed. A certain
trumpet will blow ana we shall know
all. -i~