Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-19


peated much OF this IL an injustice TO
every nationality mentioned. but alas,
much Of It 10 true. And 50 when an
American, United States man, 10 un-
der criticism by these vilified other
rationalities. = general opinion Ii free
ly expressed. he's q boor and bore, q
dollar maker. and wants all the world
to know 1t. and self important to such
an extent that he is only allowed In
foreign society because OF his dollars.
How much Of this Is true and how
much false depends on the on-looker's
point Of view.
This Is q long preface to what was
to be said on the bad manners Of our
selves. neighbors. friends, wives and
children. We have some terribly often
sive little habits Suppose we specify
a few. The ubiquitous telephone is q
blessing to some OF u.s. It enables us
to butt In" without being called to
account. It's the commonest thing in
the world for some people in o-called
good society. to interrupt the CONVEX
sation of others without any apology
In business circles the butter in" Is so
common that the species is hardly no
ticed. Loud takers. both men and
women everywhere are known as Am
orleans. In our parlors, social gather
1ngs. hotel offices, depots cars, every
day one sees and hears these Ameri-
cans almost shouting to drown the
voices OF others, telling Of their fam
fly private affairs, perfectly uncon-
scious that the button-held listener
wants to get away and others wish a
lightning bolt would silence them.
Again American men and women In
public places seem almost regardless
of the rights of others Watch a crowd
at a crowded theater entrance, notice
the behavior OF the same Kind Of a
crowd when some special sale is on at
some big department store At any
fashionable big wedding in our eastern
cities, It Is a notorious fact, policemen
and detectives are necessary to keep
out the unlimited guests In another
matter Americans are the most So
called cultivated people on earth, in
this, that they allow their children at
home and abroad to annoy others
Some ways our precocious darlings are
the worst behaved children of any on
Gods green earth. Observe them in the
depots, cars, hotels. even at the next
church social. There's no need of
mentioning what they DO and say. 1t
would I'LL this column to even mention
what they don't do.
Again our table manners. especially
in public places, are outrageous. Well
dressed people travelling in this coun-
try. to say nothing Of abroad, are con-
spicuous by their very manner Of eat
Ing. Is this exaggerated? Go into a
dining car. or IN some first class hotel
and watch the American barbarian
He still eats with a knife, he still swal-
lows soup and sucks 1t In and smacks
his lips. He still uses both knife and
work to get away with 1t as fast as
possible. He mistakes his napkin for
other things. II troubled with catarrh
he makes no effort TO conceal his in
trinity. In thousands OF cases the
negro waiter behind his chair. can give
him pointers on table etiquitte. He
even passes the tooth picks and uses
them at the table. To again refer
to the church sociable where Is cents is
the price for the whole meal Watch
him get his moneys worth. In one
good christian family the head Of the
house invariably has sick headache
for two days after the ladies Of the
church give a sociaib1e for the benefit
Of the Hottentot children. Is this too
strong? Why the very next dinner
party you give this barbarian win be
present. He'll do and say hundred
things we must not notice because his
early education was neglected and he's
very we'll off.
She way to correct some Of
this uncouth visible ill-breeding
is to begin at home with our
children. If your children and
things, they certainly will repeat the
at the hotels, In the dining
cars or at the church soclables. And
surely is "carping critics" like the
writer will assume they do these things
at home, and with your knowledge and
consent. Of course the fond mother Is
sure that 5-year-oid picked up that
"cuss word" from some bad boy at
school. We all know he heard his IA
ther say 1T. If that little cherub with
that beautiful dress and large white
ribbon bows. runs up to two ladies in
and persists In interrupt
ing them. we'll some Of us figure out
some things On the other hand how
quickly we notice polite well behaved
children" Even that condemns the
average American family. !. Such chill
dren are so few in number that is the
very rea son we notice it.