The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-03

Haze Manners Decayed?

Washington, d. c., May z.-Tne
manners OF Americans, ana eepe
cially of the younger generation OF
them, are rapidly deterloraune'
according to DR.. Charles w. Eio.'
President Emeritus Of Harvard
who is a sort Of professional repre-
sentative OF the last century.
He protests against the informal.
ity of greetings, against the fact
that men smoke in the presence Oh
women, that boys and girls touch,
tap and shove" each other. and that
they talk about things, events, pro
cesses and subjects" which the
Young men and women Of his day
never mentioned at all. BY TINS
latter circumlocution, the learned
doctor is trying to tell US, without
/ making himself blush. that men ana
women now frankly discuss matters
Of sex.
This plant against the deteriora.
| ton of our manners has been neard
so often OF late that the subject
seems to require study. What are
good manners and what purpose 40
they serve? Are our manners really
deteriorating or merely changing
After consulting a number Of the
greatest authorities, living and
dead, on the subject. we are unable
to answer these questions, but can
pass on to the reader some OF the
information acquired and let him
try to answer them for himself.
The scientists seem agreed thai
the manners of society are rooted
to a great extent in fear--the feal
that individuals have of eact
other, and that the individual ha:
for society as whole. This point !!
emphasized by Mrs. Elsie Clewei
Parsons, an able American woman
, anthropoiogist.
In support of this view it may b,
shown that manners have Away
f been most formal and perfect wher
both these fears were well-ground
: ed. In the south before the Civil
: war, for example, it was the Gus
e tom for men to fight duels owe
e small matters, sometimes mere dis
|, courtesies. Rude treatment Q
women was also cause for blood
: shed. At the same time, observer
: assure us that public opinion wa
: tyrannical.
Y Here was a land where bad man
S ners or careless words might cos
l. man his life, and the result wa
y code of manners of great fol-
a mality and beauty. They we're RI
}. markably similar to the manners {
: Elizabethan England when ever
gentleman wore sword and wa
4 always ready to skewer other ger
II tlemen for impoliteness. 1t ma
! also be pointed out that manner
II are now most perfect in formal 81
II ciety, where each is wholly depend
Il ent for preferment upon the fave
Il of others rather than upon b
y own abilities.
The Value OF Formally.
ID Manners, then. are probab
grounded partly in fear. But tn;
10 is nothing against them. Most of OF
O. virtues are based on fear, accordir
Dr. to the scientists. And, whatey,
ID their origin, manners undoubted
add ease and grace to life. TIL,
Id lubricate personal contacts, saviI
le friction, and at the same time len
T. ing dignity to the social spectacl
I'd 1t is natural that DR.. Eliot and
contemporaries should resent Il
1g passing of formal manners from
lg much of Our life. They are in SOL
respects a genuine loss.
ed At the same time, there is som
as thing gained We are less form
Is with each other in part because ,
IS. are less afraid OF each other. Hent
er if there is less of formal grace
nd our intercourse, there is more
SIS spontaneity and genuineness. 1t
r. easier to get at a man." to ma
on a friend of him. 1t Is also east
ne for men and women to get alo
with each other Surely the fra
ne discussions which take place |
III tween them nowadays are me
~ conducive to real understand
Al than the empty exchanges of ri
:, torical broadsides which took pla
W. in Victorian days, if We can belle
nc the novelists.
i ho Fear no longer plays such
III large part in, social relations, |
ba fear is not the only motive in ma