Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-10-19
The Gentleman in the Automobile.

tBy Rev. Charles b. Rice, d. d.
The Congregationalist Of March II
said:
President Woodrow Wilson indicts the
automobile as the greatest breeder Of
socialism in this country, because to the
average man their owners use Of them is
typical Of the arrogance OF wealth.
The saying Is true and serious. I have
rather wide opportunity for knowing what
is done and suffered in this matter
particularly in the country towns, where
the mischief in the nature of the case is
worst
The root Of the trouble is ignorance and
bad manners. Most Of the owners Of
automobiles must be gentlemen. and they
know and mean to respect the rights Of
others. But some are different, and they
make themselves conspicuous They
whirl furiously along the road. and wnen
they see anything before them. they utter
the fearful howl Of which they are pos
sessed. and then they seem to think that
they have discharged the whole duty Of
man, and that every one must get out OF
their way. Not long ago / was driving
with my wife upon a narrow road. We
heard this interesting noise behind US
and with barely time to get altogether
| into the ditch. we saw the machine go by
us with unchecked speed and without
NAAAntuE an lllIn lIOn the middle OF the
road. The ladies on board smiled as they
passed II may have been a smile Of
gladness to see that our improbable lives
had been spared. My wife who is a fair
judge of such matters, believed il to be
a smile Of clear derision. / do not or
dinarily think it wise to differ from her.
but l took It to be a composite smile
made up in part Of ignorance. and in
part OF an unenlightened self satisfaction.
Either way, il seemed at that time inap-
propriate
l do not suppose the driver Of that ma
chine knew as much about the law Of the
road as did the horse he passed which Is
TO be sure, pretty wide margin Of intel
ligence. A townsman, hard working man.
went for berries last summer. Coming
home upon his bicycle. with his pail well
filed, he heard this noise of alarm and
command behind him. and he found an
automobile bearing down close upon his
side of the road, as IL to see what would
become of him He was crowded into
the ditch and upset, and his berries scat
tered upon the ground. The men in the
car drove on without the least sign of
regret or of concern. Such things are
not uncommon. I could tell OF many other
doings Of the same sort
The situation Of a person driving an
automobile is peculiar. He comes and is
gone in a minute. He knows no one and
is known Of no one. His number even Is
scarcely seen in the confusion. dust and
speed. The sense Of personal presence
great safeguard everywhere else against
all rudeness-is not awakened at all with
him think it is for this reason, that
many peoule do not behave as well upon
an automobile as they 90 everywhere else.
presume / should have have been
courteously treated by those ladies that
drove us out Of the road If / could have
had the pleasure Of making a call upon
haww II WErHva =
of us on foot do not think il would have
occurred TO them to crowd US of the
sidewalk
This sense Of personality needs to be
In some way restored or put upon the
automobile. The owner or driver Of a
horse-drawn carriage is commonly known.
or may be; so is the conductor of an
electric or steam car Along with this
knowledge there goes a certain sense of
character and Of responsibility II the
owners name were put large and plain
upon the automobile. l believe that this
would OF Itself in the end, do mucn to
tighten the mischief as we have it now.
A gentleman. at any rate, could have
some sense Of carrying his reputation
along with him.
II is to be remembered that not all the
| rudensss Of the automobile drivers is to
be charged to the rich The lordly being
/ who goes by us, with his head erect. and
| looking neither to the right hand nor to
/ the left-hand. nor downward, may be a
/ young fellow who has not paid for his
/ coat. and who has borrowed a few dollars
/ with which he has hired a car and bought
a bottle of whisksy. But IL must be ad-
/ mitted that some, perhaps many. among
| the rich. are not well bred The display
which they make of their ignorance and
! insolence upon the highways is most IN
| fortunate. There are occasions enough OF
| irritation and discomfort at the present
| time, without the Haunting abroad of this
4 foolishness; and the great body of owners
| of automobiles, who are bred as gentle
men ought to be quick 70 separate them
selves from these unworthy associates.