New-York tribune., 1910-03-06
Hopkinson Smiths Slur on
Our City Unmerited.
Say MANY.

The Southern Society dinner. festival
that usually comes and goes without even
ripping the pool % Gotham affairs. TINS
wear dropped in a pebble that has sent out
widening waves of amusement and alarm
depending on 1nc part Of the current over
which they spread. Al this dinner l. Hop
lnSon Smith writer % fiction and fancies'
skeicllcr "f quaint scenes and persons
eari,,ocr and builder of one Of America 5
n,csi famous ceastguard lighthouses. but
urc-o,niaar7:lv a Southern gentleman
tulpea speaker. or one might even say
bomb thrower with q statement that this
is the most insolent city in all the world
Is 1; to the unhappy 50 per cent OF us i"-
h.bitants who were born here that ne re-
f.rs I'm his sweering assertion. or does
H.. 5,5l.de those refugees 10 liberty that
arc always streaming of the ships in large
..-o,,ss from, fsrlwav ports. thus saving
TO romance and to the delicate pen and
l.--,,sh Of MIR. Smith those very cities which
arc So benefited hy the departure o. certain
Of them te these shores
OR is there something besides the people =
Is il also the weather. Is 1t the brutal
breeze that sNirls SO lnsoleniiy around the
Flstiron so impudent ard UnSallant as re
yar..s skirts and hats Of the fair sex. some
thing that tic gentle Southern breeze would
never l,e guilty Off Is il. perhaps. the rain
ST rms that come up without decent warn
inS and pelt down il great unranneriy
,1ro,,s on the clothes OF gentle folk
OR is il JUS; that being more accustomed I"
sinai, placcs. nhcve there a-c fewer people
Mir. Smith forgetting the axiom now New
Works motto. The larger the crowds the
ssnalie. the rights of the individual has
expected TOO much rom some painting. dis
,racted car conductor or some red-faced
nolicenlar in the midst - the swirl on
Firth avenue crossing?
Most insolent:
No doubt the most insoient are aerc. as
are tfe most cultured. the richest the
racst remarkable the biggest ard brightest
also the poorest. most ignorant ana ;"
forth without end. For has New York noI
INC largest population collected in any one
s,.ot in The New World. and therefore the
besi chance Of having tic extreme OF every
adjective in the dictionary That is one
of this city's sncciaties-jo 80 10 the liTht
with everything Il attempts. speed ano
effort arc in the winds that Nhlz across
tbe Hudson and send all the high fyins
banners and the white puffs OF steam from
tai, ehirneys streaming out in eager
rivalry.
SIR. Smith should lay his hammer by and
moi forget that in Now York his books
havc a greater number of admirers taai N
az, other municipality in the United states
Because some cf the most ignorant ot, INC
newly acquired population is her Is Ne"
York therefore the most illttcrate city IN
the world" Because II has examples "'
great poverty and distress * II on 5ha'
account the poorest CITY IL the world l'e-
cause Il has some unworthy plays ana
vicious resorts. i it the most immoral ''lH
4 mum bcr Of the leading mon ana women
.fther horn within Gotham generous
BOUNDARIES or adopted in It's open handed
wa, havc been asked 10 gro I" tho col
au,ns Of The Tribune a fe~ words of df-
-en.,c for The place they have chosen 10
lXe and work.