, 1921-09-02

Is intended to iiustr.ss a char
acte-Ist.c OF the English people
II shows. I think. to what lengths an
Encitshman VIII go TO gain his rights.
when an American would say. -Oh,
what Is tho use7- or, Never mind
one OF trio reasons England is sueh a
comfortable ptNce IN which 10 live Is
due to the fact that the English people
havo thi peculiar habit OF fighting for
the4f rights. by letters to the Times, or
by taking the numbers Of cabmen and
policemen and appearing against them
IN the morning, or By sending war-ships
into strange harbors where the window
panes Of some English merchants have
been smashed II there wore elevated
roads IN London. the clerk who lives IN
Remington would not hang and swing
from a strap on his way 20 and from
n city. He would see hat he was
given the scat for which he had paid.
The American Is too busy and too good
natured to fight for his rights. so he
continues TO stand from Rector Street
TO Harlem. and to walk over uncioan
streets and sees the beautiful green
park st the Battery taken from him and
turned into a railroad terminus. He will
learn IN time. that the reason the Eng
ishman has better roads and better
streets and better protection for his life
and property Is because he 'makes a
kick about IL" and protests and growis
and is generally disagreeabie until he
gets what he wants. G~ood-nature is
not always a virtue. and sometimes the
easy-going person is a very selfish one,
too. Equally strong with his desire TO
have his rights is the Engiishman's def
ererce for the rights of others. He
shows this Differences by respecting the
English law. which makes these rights
good. There was a young woman in
England who told me that she and
seven or eight other young people had
tramped in single file through n gentle
mans dining-room ono evening. while
he and his guests were at dinner. in
order to establish a right of way. The
Engiishman had built his house on a
meadow directly across a pathway that
had been used for centuries. and once
a year the young people OF the neigh
boring estates marched across his lawn,
and up his stairs. and through his
house. in order that he should remem-
Der that the right OF way still existed.
She was an exceedingly shy and WE'LL
bred young person. and OF a family
quite as OLD as the right OF way. but It
apparently did not strike her that she
was rude in tramping through a strnn-
gers house. or. indeed. hat she was
doing anything but a public duty. And
the Interesting point OF the story TO me
was that the English householder. in
stead OF getting n Winchester and driv-
ing the young trespassers of of his
lawn. should have had SO fun an appre-
citation OF their right to question his
right that he simply Bit hts lips and
went to law about it.
There was an 1rishman In the same
county who lived in n small cottage CT
an estate. and who was in the habit Of
crossing from Il TO another through the
gateway OF a very distinguished and
noble gentleman. He had lone this for
twenty years. and when the noble gem
tleman came into some more money
ana hung two fine iron gates between
the posts. the Irish laborer took IA crow
bar and broke the hinges on which they
hung. and tramped over them on his
way. He was put in jnii for this for a
month, at the end OF which time he
went after his and tore the
gates down again. When he had been
in jail five times in six months. the
people round about took up his case.
and the right of way was declared a
just one. and the gates came down for
ever. The Englishman will go further
this: he will not only Tight for his
rights, but he will fight for some other
mans rights; he will SO out of his road
to tramp through n gentleman's prop
erty simply because the people in the
neighborhood are dispudng for right of
way with him. I heard Of three young
barristers when 1 was in London who
went on a walking-tour. and who laid
out their route entirely with the pur-
pose in view of taking in all the dis
puted rights of way in the counties
through which they passed, and who
cheerfully sacrificed themselves for the
good ot others by forcing their way into
houses and acros private grounds and
by tearing down hedges.
This brings me to the particular
right-of-woy case In which I was IN
volved. and OF which I was appointed
chronicler. I have been somewhat
ingiorious Oxford movement to the at
tention OF the world: but now that 1t is
to be written It will be given fully and
with all possible detail. as befts so
Important an event in tho history OF
the struggles for English liberty.
The Baliiol Eight had bumped the
boat in front tina day, and were cele-
brating h fact with a dinner. / re-
member this dinner very well. because
each of the eight had come to me in a
friendly way during the afternoon, and
had told me not to dress for dinner. as
only Founders and cads wore dress
clothes at a wine" 1 accordingly
came in fannels, and found the entire
eight in the proper garments OF eve
IluBt anu Win Al pdlIleu anu surprised
look at my appearance. and when I de-
manded with some Indignation why
they had put me in such a position.
they all denied ever having spoken TO
me at any time on the subject Of dress.
and r~rologized for my appearance to
the other guests by explaining that I
came from America where eyening
dress was unknown. The guests ac-
cepted his as an interesting fact and
the eight grinncd together in unison at
tho success of what they considered a
very subtle practical Joke. But I had
my revenge. as they were stin IN train
ing for Henley, and could eat nothing
but cold meat. and so were forced to
look on at the celebration Of their vic
tory by the only men present who had
in no possible way contributed towards
II. It was near the close of the dinner
when the Hon. Hubert Howard, VIII,
pulled bow that day. raped for silence
and when he had obtained II. nunornraI