The Washington herald., 1909-07-18
TWO KINDS OF PATRIOTISM
BY THE SOCIAL ARBITER.

NOTE-The Arbiter viii be glad 20
answer any question of a social nature
that may be submitted. Such ques-
ton should be addressed to The Arbi-
ter, care The Washington Herald
It is sorry tale, truly. that came 10
US from Toronto at the time we We're cell
ebrating our national holiday. that Of
some American tourists. who tied the
Union Jack 10 the wheels Of their car
riage and trailed it in the dust pointing
TO It in derision while they waved the
Stars and Stripes in triumph. A sorry
tale a grievous tale. and one that has
made every self-respecting American
who read il blush with shame a the
rudeuess and vulgarity Of their COM
patriots.
The conduct Of the Canadians at this
gratutious insult was dignifed and mod
crate. They simply brought the matter
TO the attention of the police department
and left it 10 provide against further in
dignities 10 the flag Of our forefathers
for :. was the flag Of our forefathers as
well as OF theirs that these people dis
honored. II a party OF Englishmen had
conducted themselves in the same way
as did these vulgar proyincials on Broad
way, il is not difficult to imagine what
would have happened. They would have
been mobbed forthwith, manned and in
jured probably, war might even have
threatened Tor. as unpleasant as # is TO
chronicle, we are not willing TO accord
TO others the license we take ourselves.
Here Is another story: In the back
of
dian peasant employed al one OF the
camps, seeing bunting displayed every
where on the Fourth. unfurfed his Union
Jack. He was Immediately visited by
an angry delegation. why" he was
asked dared he flaUnt the British flag
on a day that commemorated our separa-
ton from that country Poor Jacques
knew little about England. nothing about
the separation referred TO- but. seeing
flags waving everywhere he had brought
oct the only one he possessed as evidence
or honor and respect for his neighbors.
But the delegation would not be pacifed.
They were out for blood and blood they
must have So they decided TO beat the
fellow anyway, nor so much as a pun
ishment 10 him as 10 attest their own
PATRIOTISM and let off a little Of their
bottled steam. Jacques. however, was
disarming He smiled at them so naively.
among them would not consent to seeing
him naltreated. and Jacques himself
found a way out "Gif me yo flag" he
said: I will here put IT," and in place
Of he Union Jack he hung out the Stars
and Stripes. There was no disloyalty in
his doing fl. only an evidence Of that eX-
quisite pOliteness for which the French
are noted and which IS the most. endear, /
Ing characteristic Of the Canadian habi-
tant
Another instance Of the Fourth in New
England was the breaking up Of the
fruit stand belonging 10 a poor Greek. /
who was given beating by way OF good
measure and his oranges thrown into the
sea He must have had a peculiar idea OF
liberty ''as she IS taught in this land Of
the free, but II seems such demOnstra-
tions are necessary TO prove the patriot
ism Of those who take part in them.
which is very much ike labelling a man
in stripes doing time for stealing. This
is an honest man. II would be hard. :
indeed. 20 persuade a right thinker thar
one who persists in disObeying the laws
of his country and who misuses and NAL [
treats her guest in the name Of liberty 1
Is a good patriot, for as good wine needs I
no bush" so a good patriot needs no 4
trumpeter.
The Arblter mentions these incidents \
because they suggest certain lines on \
which he has written more or less, for I
he feels deeply. and IN this he Is not I
alone the dlscredft certain Of mis- mis- 4
guided compatriots bring upon the cOun- I
try by their grotesque attitude. their bla- /
tant Dragging, their boastfui we are a /
little better than YOU" But these bluster- |
ing gentry, these swelling frogs. who are \
ambitious 70 initiate themselves until they
are the size Of oxen, not only seek 10 I
force the story OF the exceuencies Of their
own country on all who pass. but they 4
endeavOr 10 discredit all other countries. /
II is bad enough 70 decry other nations, /
TO sit in public places and point out the |
unworthiness and rOttenness of every
country in the world save America. but |
TO insult their flag, 10 make surly and un-
gracious return for their hospitality is
unspeakably vulgar
i IS very much like going into a
friends house and mutilating the portrait 1
of lis grandfather. or battering the fam
iIy silver because the vulgarian assumes
that the grandfather did not stand for
as fine a cause as his own ancestor rep
resented. because he does not consider \
the family silver as good as his own.
The accident Of birth should not make
as too bitter against those whom we
Judge less fortunate and 1t should be /
remembered that when one vaunteth him
self unseemly the experienced ones are
prone 10 fancy that his clustering is but /
a cover for some hidden evil Then, too. /
the great American shibboieth has al
ways been 10 live and let live; surely 4
those tourists who trailed in the dust the
flag the fathers Of this republic helped to
make glorious the hOOdlums who threat /
ened poor Jacques because he sought 20
honor our holiday. and the rapscallions /
who beat the helpless Greek and destroy
ed his property simply because he was a
Greek missed the spirit of this law.
TO secure the blessings Of liberty 10
ourselves and our pOsterity" was one of
the reasons for establishing the Consu-
tuition: but securing the liberty for our
selves and establishing il for our chill
dren did not mean then. and does not
mean now, interfering with or curtailng
the liberty Of others. and this We should
remember when we are at home and when
we go abroad It is surely poor patriot
who brings discredit on his country by
his conduct a fact that the tourists. said
70 be American, in Toronto must have
lost sight Of.
Not long ago a bishop OF the Episcopal |,
Church delivered sermon which was
so fearless, so wise. and inspiring that it
should be epoch-making; il will, indeed.
be epoch-making 10 the thinkers who
have the welfare Of the country at heart
and it cannot fail but have some effect
on those blatant Americans who are con-
stantiy shouting about the virtues and /.
greatness Of this republic to as much pur-