Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-20
The GOWnsman


OF superiority, who lends countenance ana
helps keep nourshed. A patron cannot pro-
tect his equal, he does not need II he can
not counienance another patron, the later
will not stand II he cannot act the behe-
factor to an Independent spirit, who VIII re-
sent II. The patron is superior being III
whatsoever station of wealth, influence OF
power he may move. Now patron does NOT
do anything or think anything. II Is not
his business to toll, unless It be In the meshes
of diplomacy; neither does he spin, except on
occasion, in his car beyond the speed Himt'
II Is not for him to plan anything, 10 toresee
anything or really TO manage, however seen-
ingly he may appear to do so. His business
Is merely to own. to enjoy the proceeds OF
ownership and occasionally to make dress
parade on what he calls inspection.
TNHE patron may be q gentleman OF leisure
i diplomat or an Industrial or even educa'
tional magnatc. lie is often as exalted as
y prince or low down as n ward heeler.
in which latter case we call him the boss
In America the patron is most frequently
merely n moneyed man with hobby. which
he flies tail TO the business kite. IT he is a
CounOisseur in art he buys pictures with an
eye to the investment, or plans tomb Tor
himself to be a perpetual cyesore TO ms nelBh-
hor whose fate it is TO survive him. VI he
happens to affect letters" he collects books
at prices which the herd cannot pay; and he
may destroy a thousand of these, his puiable
subjects to eNtra-illustrate THE Life of Nell
Gwin." In charity he often gives his name
ana seldom anything else. IN uhi' OF war
he Is alike publicist and a privateer And
If We may take a flop downward once more
When the patron Is contractor ne uoeS Hot
much contract as he often expands into
political portent.
CpEAkING Of politics and portents. the
y world is i'm the throes of this ineffable
war largely because Of the patron for me-
| dieval autocracy is based essentially on
| recognition of the inequality of men. on an
acceptance Of the doctrine of divine right, in-
herent IN one man. to own RUE protect anu
eNplpIt the rest or lhe hauoh' ne "ao
| Dog OF Europe Is Inc supreme patron ne
| Is JACK oI AT trades yet WIN hietihe Oh
| military training, ne Is not even goou gen
| "raI ana the victor OF Nerduh lhneritS n'S
I"thel hlIlUaTN H'oI'lpoleh'N' ~ ia't Wv
trouble with what Lieutenant tolhnahuer
| van Dyke calls, 80 ptcturesquely Tor a cier-
| gyman' the Potsdam gang seems 10 ne una,
| 1t IS only the patron OF efficiency ana no'
| really tIlclent USeII 'SuPposHS II coiVeN-
| able for moment that any nation OF the
| world, except pauon-rldden GerinanN' hau
| deliberately plotted, dropping all decency ana
| all morality, 10 attack ana subJugate the
| World NouId u. win terWahN power anu
| will TO power have failed TO pun II on!
| Could we Imagine forty years OF slnllaf
| planning and plotting ending Tor England III
| a Ike failure? France. with haIl Germany
| power ana nundfeuth part OF heT eHl-
mo t""p N''i' '>apo'eoi p, I" l'o.cu 800
| ,,,, -, LIN, - N,,in,hos,or ,o,oa,iny
| rino :, aud Gormarv has succeoded admirably
| against little Serbia and Dumania half
| armed and distracted Russia unexpectant
| lotqiu,, and roront1v deIlidcd ItaIy These
| are moi tho successes of efficiency: they are
| Tho eurcesecs or irnmoraIitv Even in tho
nrize ring Tho decent pugilist does no, hit
| helov, the belt"
|
|
| 'l'n" "'"' VI Wt"''', anu S,',''.i VIZ 80
| l. hSlhg 'nc opllsat'oiS Oh "o'ii' gives '''H
| share III time, eifort ana money 10 tne Goou
OF those about him. has raised himselt out OF
| the category OF the patron by taxing MS
| place IN the affairs OF men. Such II man is
more soltcitous concerning the duties ana
| obligations OF his station than trounled ABOUT
It's honors ana the recognition or ms I'M
portance. He Is too interested III the details
of his service TO dress Tor part; too I'M
nersed IN aHalfS 10 consider now l look III
u UNIFORM 10 pay tne plhchpech Napoleoh
or worry about the star of his destiny. There
are patrons ana patrons; there are even
| ttohenzol!erhs ana ttoheh@oIlerhS' as the
heroic King OF the BelGlans declares TO us:
! a man VINO Walked not III Tue easy way OF
| the patron, opportunlllng' awaiting the BOOST
| of fortune or exploiting seitishiy nus people
| hut stood Tor right though he lost ms domin-
ION Tor H. Albert OF Belgium alohe Is enough
TO redeem roEalty' ana roSal'y Is sauly III
need OF redemption.
|
| A PERSISTENT obscssion of patronage is
| ~ tg conviction that in some wise the
| natron 10 ALWAYS tho. fountain of honor rem
resented commonly. after the medieval Gus
| Tom in a ribhon !, medal a cross even a
| hood nr tho lilo token is eignidcant onIv
as II sv,nho,izes a princnle a reality: il is
nothing in itself There is honor as a source
I'm the abstraction which we call a nation and
recognize honorable individual conduct or
| arbieven,ent There is aIso honor as a so,Irce
in that other abstraction. an established seat
of learning and it's governing body may be
the means similarly of recognizing honorable
individual effort and success. But neither
autocrats of nations nor mere patrons of
learning make honors spinning them, like
the spider, out of his own vitals. To con-
fer an actual honor on anybody the autocrat
and the patron must have the source OF
honor in himself. Not all the stolen iron in
French Briey and Longwy can make hon.