Arizona republican., 1903-05-04
OBJECTS TO BURNS POEM
"A Mans a Man for A That" Held to
 Promote False Sentiment.

6 dAeC 0Cul4uCut.
 Messrs. Editors: In your issue of the '26th you print as the poetical gem" for the day the we'll known poem of Robert Burns. A Mans Man for A That Your appended remarks re- garding the meaning and essence of gentleman" are interesting and ap- propriate, but the quotation from Shei- ley given just above Songs con secrate to truth and liberty'-seems decidedly inappropriate when applied | to the ballad referred to.
 | Does such song and the sentiment therein expressed. and in the way ex- pressed. tend to consecrate human i thought or action to either truth or liberty? It cannot but seem to me that | it tends to plant and nOurish an idea which is false and which does not bid | for the highest conception of liberty. i The prevailing idea, as is readily seen on reading the poem. is a prayer and a prophecy looking to the breaking 1 down of all artificial barriers in human society and the bringing of all human | ity to a common level. And. without ! even a hint as to any distinctions, this is hailed as a consummation devOutly l to be wished. Let us see. What are the essentials of gentle birth and breeding? Answer: Humanity born among surroundings that tend 10 refine the nature of the heart within and or the body without, and thus to soften the instincts of brutality; humanity nurtured amid fine traditions and high examples: humanity reared and trained in the school of self-eOntrol: humanity | born of ancestors on whom these in fiuenees have already acted. and thus born with certain predispOsitiOn to follow and to emulate. in so far as pro geny reflects ancestry and like begets like. So much for the essentials Sure Ily nothing objectionable there
 And now what are the incidental and almost invariable accompaniments of this same gentle birth? Answer: False pride arrogance. undue cOmplacency, a conviction pampered more or less un- consciously that there exists a differ ence of essence, not merely of accident. between human beings of the same race and blood. but born amid different surroundings. reared among different conditions. with different ideals and as pira such as have for generations and centuries both marked and divided the ranks of men, and a proneness to forget till the same for getfulness becomes fixed habit of life that, however widely and for however long the aforesaid differences may have existed "a mans a man for a that"
 Now is there no lesson here? Should men hold their peace and omit to cry "Distinction"? Methinks the very stones would cry out against such counsel to mischief and wrong.
 This time of bringing all humanity to a common lever' is a popular cry It has a catching twang. Indeed, such a movement seems to be actually under way and, likely. it is well. But to the ignorant and minimizing mind the pro- cess of bringing must always be one of breaking down'-one of pulling down whatever is above himself-that and nothing else. Now is that a con- summation devoutly to be wishede
 Human nature is so constituted Cor seems to bel that the only method by which the lower strata can perma- nently rise as a body is by gripping the skirts of the upper strata and hanging thereon until the very weight forces the latter to move Ciownward--to con descend. if you please. But the most ignorant mind. when not blinded by ranoor or discOntent. can be made 10 see that such a movement is double
 movement. and that the two move ments are in opposite directions-One upward. the other downward; bOtS ap- preaching a central point
 New my contention is that whenever
 this great double movement pulls down
 merely the clements of false pride, ar rogance, nurtured blindness. and any
 other ordinary. though unnecessary elements of viciousness in the upper strata and at the same time elevateS the lower strata in that it widens it's
 horizon raises its ideals. and stimu- . lates it's hopes and efforts by the very
 fact of the closer contact, then truly
 it is a contamination to be wished. and
 songs that teach to that end do surely
 "consecrate to truth and liberty" But
 songs poems or precepts which. con | sciously or unconsciousiy. lead ignor-
 ance to indiscriminate attacks on gen
 tie birth as such. whether gentry. mo- , bility. royalty or. what not. just as - surely consecrate to falsehood and
 cataclysm. Destroy the leaven and
 what will raise the mass? Assail the r ''vicious incidentals'' Of gentle birth. } and God speed ye, Make concerted
 attack on the essentials" of gentle
 birth. and God save our country, Aye.
 and God save the wOYld'
 ! ne pdrtcuidr poem ieiSii Su '' i'00
 been so admitted by so many great
 minds that this criticism may De
 deemed presumptuous- The sentiment s of the poet is truly admirable as far as
 it goes It is the incompleteness of its
 teaching which dislike and which tas expressed) I cannot but think is calcu-
 lated to propagate a false and mis-
 chievous idea.-Alexander Stephens ID I Baltimore Sun.