The Washington times., 1904-10-13
A Crop of Impressions.

- 4
One crop in the harvest which will
follow the st. Louis Exposition will
consist chiefly of tares. For half a
year it has been nurtured-wet by
the rains OF worlds congresses and
warmed by the sun Of public atten-
ton. When the book publishers, in
the capacity Of reapers and threshers,
begin to ship their produce TO the
market every householder must look
out.
Men who read editorials viii Won
der what crop is meant. They viii
know at the end Of the first sentence
that the reference is to the numerous
company of impressions" which viii
find their way from presses to book
counters as the work OF foreign Wis
itors to the United States, more or
less distinguished. The nation has
long looked with amusement or indif-
ference on this spectacle Of Jour
nalists" or statesmen" jumping on
the wharf in New York and forth
with penning their sensations. The
impressions" which result have
been abundantly cauterized in Amer
lean newspapers. But the crop prom
ised by this latest exposition seems
likely 10 Guido all previous records.
Two of those authors have just Wis
tied Washington. They spent here,
all told, as much as a fortnight each.
They were put down at all the clubs
taken TO the theater-entertaine at
dinner parties-showu characteristic
American family life as it is found in
The most expensive hotels and our
most luxurious homes-and enter
tanned with ''swagger" conversation
by persons who observe Sunday as
the best day Of the week for golf and
card parties, and think the Con
tinenJal' day of rest only the first Of
a rare lot of impCrtatiOns America
must soon make from Europe. This
story Of their stay IN Washington is,
no doubt. aH epitome Of their whole
visit TO this country
Americans have no fault to find
with clubs. or theaters. or dinner par
ties. or hotels-expensiye or mex
pensiYe-or luxurious homes, or any
Kind Of a Sunday men choose to have
for themselves. But Americans do
object TO having those several ele-
ments exploited as the reflex Of their
national life.
This is no country OF clubs, formal
dinner parties, and secular Sabbaths
This is a country Of quiet, domestic,
peaceful. Christian homes. The oc-
cupants of those homes are rot much
IN evidence excepting at their work
benches and their firesides. They do
not block the doors Of hotels like
tOuts during a race meet. They still
enjoy the theater-fOr most Of them
il still creates convincing illusions
and very few Of them regard it as do
these foreigners, as an airing-rOom
for fine clothes. Their conversation.
II never "sWagger." is on the whole
intellectual, broad, Outspoken, vigor-
Gus, and above everything. unaf-
fected- Finally, the American sun
day-whateVeT the citizens religious
attitudes still a day OF rest, un-
mistakably given its character by a
national reverence for religion.
Visitors from other countries have
no right 10 publish or even to form
Impressions of America without be-
coming familiar with this life. Our
people would not gauge France By
the gayeties Of Paris a. the Grand
Prix. or England by the view from
London Tower. But the average
writer Of Impressions takes no ac-
count Of this basic element OF Amer
lean character He has come TO see
the vulgar progress achieved by vuI-
garians in the pursuits OF the vulgar.
10 smile ar the bizarre entertainments
OF the rich among a primitive people.
and 70 return home with the same re-
lief he feels when he quits his com
puisory service in the army.
is it any wonder that a crop of
such impressions" is chiefly tares?