New-York tribune., 1906-12-20
INVOKING BIG STICK" AGAINST TIPS.

An interesting example of the habit of regard
ing the national government or its executive head
as a sort of earthly providence, against which
President Wilson of Princeton University justly
protested the other evening, comes TO hand IN
the appeal which a mercantile corporation of
this city has Just made to President Roosevelt
to intervene with his big stick" for the suppress
sion of the system of tipping" With this ap-
peal it is difficult not to sympathize in sentiment.
for the grounds of it, as set forth by Mr. Elmer
Cory in his letter to the President are certainly
grave. 1t is quite true that as Mr.. Cory says,
the tipping system prevails almost universally
in restaurants, hotels, 'parlor" and sleeping cars,
steamboats,, places of amusement, barber shops
and various other places, and that unless a man
thus submits TO pay something above and beyond
the stated charge for service, which is always
ample and often exorbitant, he is in danger OF
deliberately bad service, If not of actual insult
There is no doubt that the system Is hardship
to its victims, from the purely pecuniary point
Of view, that it has demOralizing effect upon
all concerned, and that it is repugnant to the
principles which formerly prevailed in American
social and business life.
Much, however. as we sympathize with every
protest against the system, and much as we
should like to see it summarily suppressed, we
can scarcely regard it as appropriate to ask the
President or Congress to take action concerning
1t. We know of no constitutional ground on
which they could do So unless in the single case
of railroad cars and steamboats, engaged in inter
state commerce. The regulation of hotels, res
taurants, theatres, barber shops and the like
is a state, If not, indeed, q municipal, matter.
1t is for the police powers OF the state or the
municipality TO deal with 1t. Nor can we con-
cede that, even If they neglect their duty in the
premises and suffer the evil to continue the
federal government should therefore intervene
as Mr.. Root rightly argued the other evening it
should and must do in some cases. for the
prevalence Of the "tpping" system in one state
disgraceful as 1t may be, is scarcely to be recz-
Oned q menace or an intolerable hardship to
neighbOring states or to the whole Union
1t seems to us that Mr.. Cory in his letter to
the President suggests the true method of deal
ing with this abuse. Representative travelling
men in Pennsylvania and New York are begin
ming" he says ito organize anti-tipping associa-
''tions." More power to them. and may their
tribe increase! If a solitary man refuses to
give tips" he will probably suffer in service
and will effect no good. But If a considerable
proportion Of the patrons OF q restaurant or
other establishment by concerted action refused
to suffer such extortiOn and made it plain that
they would hold the proprietor to account for
any failure TO give them just as good service as
those who gave "tips" enjoyed we are inclined
to think much would be effected and If the
public In general only had the courage Of it's
convictions would refuse TO submit longer to this
wretched system and would practically make It
a matter Of reproach and shame fer anybody to
give Tip" the whole thing would be swept out
OF existence in a jiffy The ''bg stick" which is
needed is not that of the President or Of the
federal government. It might in some cases
properly be that OF the state or the municipalitv
But above all 1t should be that of an awakened
and resolute public opinion