Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-08-17

NAANA HANNNAAn STUN
up ON the walls, informing the guests
that the walters are forbidden to re-
ceive "gratuities, ? and requesting the
patrons not to offer clips" This in
London. Well, If the English people
can carry this reform through, and
lead the world to follow their exam
pie, Magma Charta" win take second
place in the historical running. There
win he hope Of salvation even for the
Pullman s~leeping-car company. Which
is impossible. This reformation is not
merely an English necessity. The tip
ping nuisance is much worse in the
United States. A penny" doesn't 60
with the gentleman from the North
Of Ireland or South Carolina or
Darmstadt who brings you soup with
his thumb in il. A quarter or nothing.
That is a shilling. Moreover, il YOU
60 away without tipping the London
waiter, he looks hurt. Possibly, if he
has been badly trained, indignant. II
he doesn't care for his job, he may
say something after you that you can
hear. The same man in America will
say or do something ~insolently, as
though you had not paid your bill.
limitations are always exaggerations
Of the original, especially when a
fault is initiated. I suppose that is
one reason why the tipping custom
Is so much more irritating in America
than IL is abroad. 1t is natural over
here. II is in the atmosphere. People
are born to il. 1t has, indeed, a noble
pedigree. II is a lineal descendant Of
"largesse," which the noble lord, hav-
ing wrung by the millions from his
subjects, used to distribute a handful
at a time, once every fifteen or twenty
years. Small handfuls and only a
few Of them. II was looked upon as
noble beyond all measure. When an
American does much the same thing,
and then seatters his amassed mil
lions over the country in colleges and
libraries, a howl Of tainted money!
goes up from everybody who doesn't
get any Of itj from everyone who is
too old to 20 to college, or too stupid
10 pass the entrance examinations,
or who hates TO read. Our ancestors
called it "largesse." We call IL
"graft." Which is much the same
thing, only different. The same differ
ence there is between "Guillaume"
and "Bill." 1 think the latter appel
~lation, in both instances, is the honest
or. If you hear 1t, or see II in print,
without seeing the man, you may be a
little bit uncertain rs to the sex Of
"fGuillaume," and il does sound some
thing like a new kind Of sauce for the
fish. But you re dese certain about
"Bill." And II We called a CRATER a
thief" / think We woul deal more
promptly and more justly with his of
lenses. "Graft" is one OF the bits Of
American slang, by the way, that is on
the road to take it's place in the best
English society. You can hear II, not
i~nfrequentIy, in the debates in the
House of Commons. And possibly, nay,
probably-I think, indeed, certainly
ia the House Of Lords. IL has made
It's appearance in the investigation Of
the "army stores" scandal. OF this
inquiry 1 need mention but one item
to make the whole matter clear and
plain as daylight 10 the American
mind In the sale Of "surplus stores"
during the war In South Afriea-that
is much the same, I understand, as
condemned stores" in our army az
fairs-eertain large quantities Of "mr-
plus oats" were sold to a contractor
at seven shillings per. And the next
day-well, say the following week.
the same loo was bought back from
the same man for army use at eleven
shillings per.
Say, the way these English cousins
Of ours are picking up good old Amer
lean customs they'll bo eleeting their
Kings in another generation. Beats
everything how rapidly the world is
becoming civilized. There wasn't a
quartermaster in the Spanish war
who could have done anything heater
than that Why, that isn't business.
clean statesmanship. An Eug-
.ishman who can do that Rt home
could buy his way into the United
States senate IL he'd come OveF 10
he Home Of the Brave. 1t gives
Freeman" a very comfortable feel
ng, when he is travelling abroad, 10
Inow that his neighbors are kept sol
busy cleaning their oWn ehimneysl
hat they have no time 70 bring com
'laint against him under the "smoke
When we finally do get