Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-09
THESE TIMES THE BEST.
Are Americans No Longer Good
HUNDRED PeepIeP

From the New York Herald.
Are the American people losing their
good humor? Richard Mansfield says they
are.
That would be great pity IL true. for
the kindly spirit OF our people. combined
with ability to look on the humorous side
of uncomfortable situations and make the
best of them. has been noted by foreign
observers and rated as a valuable national
asset.
Our actor-critic says that people appear
to be interested in learning of unpleasant
things OF persons In public life rather than
of the pleasant ones which may be EVIL
dence merely that the unpleasant things
are the exception and therefore ''newsy
while pleasant ones are the rule He com
plains of the alleged extraordinary desire
for money, and thinks that "in this age we
are too prone to think i'll of our neighbor. ="
trait, 1t may be remarked. not peculiar 10
this age or people, but as old and universal
as human nature. Then he says:
I'VE scowl too much We smile too little.
You can see 1t the street cars. where
every one is trying to 5ostle every one else
out of the way. The spirit of kindness, OF
gentleness, of brotherly love seems to be
dying out in this mad rush for wealth ana
personal achievement"
You can see itr also in the dentists
chairs. Fortunately, we do not pass the
greater portion OF our lives In having teeth
hours The American people love TO
smile, they love the person who makes
them smile: they love the good-natured.
smiling man and woman. Why. it Is even
argued that much of Mr.. Roosevelt's popu-
larity is due to his good humor and to the
apparently chronic smile in the portraits
familiar to millions. The national good
humor finds reflection in the columns or
our newspapers and In the debates of our
legislative assemblies. despite passing
events that do and should bring scowl
upon the face of every honest man.
That this spirit OF kindness Is not dying
out Is evident in the unprecedented and
innumerable efforts on every side to help
the poor, sick, the halt. the blind. the deaf,
the dumb. Never in any other time or
country were there so many persons as
there are in this land today devoting not
only money but their time and personal eff
fort to enlighten the ignorant. to relieve
the afflicted and to help even dumb animals.
There IS indeed, vast difference since the
good old times for which Mr.. Mansfield
sighs--the days of Sir Roger de Coverly.
the tlrnspit. the blazing log and THE good
oid-fashioned dinner" followed by the bowl
Of punch and the port
Those were the good old days. when
gentlemen got drunk. when the millions
had no meat for the spit, bath tubs were
unknown even to the wealthy. and there
was physical reason why the courtiers
would not suffer one OF the great unwashed
to come betwixt the wind and his nobili-
ty." They were the good old days. when
women could not visit the theater unless
they wore masks to conceal their identity
and cover their confusion at what was said
upon the stage, and when the members Of
Mr.. Mansfield's profession were held in
such esteem that q lady who married her
footman was not looked upon with half the
contempt she would incur by marrying an
actor II IL very entertainiugs-that talk of
our act0r-crtt1c in yesterdays Herald-and
all the more so because Of his seif-con-
seriousness. his earneatness and his curious
" mtBtak6 viewpoints.