The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-10-06
Something to
Think Ab0ut
WORD GENTLEMAN"

A FRENCH critic, discussing the
~ recent famous battle for the
boxing championship of the
world. expressed surprise that so
many Americans should have favored
the challenger from abroad.
Perhaps If he had stopped to think
for q moment he would have realized
that. after all, this is in the true
sporting spirit.
That spirit Is at times hard TO cul'
tivate. 1t Is natural for a city to
want its home team to win In baseball,
and for a college to wish. 10 see It's
young giants sweep all before them
on the diamond. the links and the
gridIron.
"To have and to hold" is the motto
Of national or international sport from
yachting to polo.
II is reasonable for a nation not to
wish to lose any championship once
it has obtained It.
Various explanations have been
given Of the popularity Of Carpenter
the best small man who stood up TO
the best big man in their business In
the world today.
A ray Of light Is thrown on the
matter by a word that was used by
several experts In describing the af-
fair. They said that the Frenchman
fought Ike a gentleman and lost Ike
one.
This involved no reflection on the
champion. because nothing Of an "un-
gentlemanly" nature was done by any
body on the memorable occasion In
question.
The interesting thing is the use Of
the word gentleman"
have been shy of from the earliest
days. partly because II conveyed a
suggestion Of class distinction In
country that has no Glasses" and
partly because the word was hard to
define even in countries where 1t
was In common use.
There Is no doubt that in the
strlctest sense of the expression,
George Washington. Thomas Jefferson
and John Adams were gentlemen"
Yet there can be equally little doubt
that the first would have corrected
anybody who defined him In that way
by saying that he was a soldier, while
the other illustrious two would have
preferred to be called statesmen.
As for Benjamin Franklin. II any
body had called him a gentleman, he
would have remarked probably that
he preferred to be a printer
Daniel Webster was entertainer at
the Jockey club in Richmond on a
famous occasion. He surprised his
hosts by saying that, though born in
New Hampshire and a senator from
Massachusetts, he could give three
good reasons why he could claim to
be Southern Gentleman" And he
gave these amid storm OF laughter
In fact, II Is only In the army and
the navy that the word gentleman"
survives in technical sense. For
conduct unbecoming an officer and a
gentleman" is the ground for one OF
the most serious charges that can be
brought against anybody who holds a
commission.
The great John Henry Newman.
afterwards cardinal. In discussing "the
Idea of q university" gave consld-
erable part of his time to the effort to
define a gentleman"
He. of course. had no more SYM
pathy than any American would have
with the view, not uncommon In parts
of Europe, that a gentleman" is
man who has no profession or busi-
ness; who has nothing to do but moth
Ing.
In olden days a gentleman" was
supposed to be like Bayard, without
fear and without reproach; kind TO
women and children; gentle In peace
and careless OF his own safety when
duty called him."
II is an interesting thing to find the
word used In the case OF profession
al boxer.