Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-09-10
Something to
Think Ab0ut
WORD "GENTLEMAN."
By F. II. WALKER

~ recent famous baRle Tor 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 a 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 Cty to
want its home team to win In baseball,
and for college to wish to see its
young giants sweep all before them
on the diamond, the links and the
grldlren.
ITO have and to hold" is the motto
of national or international sport from
yachting to polo.
It is reasonable for nation not to
wish to lose any championship once
Il has obtained IT,
Various explanations have been
given of the popularity Of Carpenter
the hest 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 Frenchmnn
fought like q gentleman and lost like
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"
1t is an expression that Americans
have been shy of from the earliest
days, partly because 1t conveyed
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
strictest sense of the expression,
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson
ana 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 soldier while
the other illustrious two would have
preferred to be called statesmen.
AS for benjamin. Franklin, if any
body had called him a gentleman, he
would have remarked probably that
he preferred to be a printer.
Daniel Webster was entertained at
the Jockey club in Richmond on a
famous occasion. He surprised his
hosts by saying that, though born In
New Hampshire and 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, it is only in the army and
the navy that the word gentleman"
survives in technical sense. For
conduct unbecOmlng an officer and
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 a university" gave consd-
cradle part of his time to the effort to
define gentleman"
He, of course, had no more SYM
pathy than any American would have
with the view, not uncommon in parts
of Europe, that gentleman" is
man who has no profession or bust
ness who has nothing to do but MOTH
Ing,
IN olden days 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."
It is IN interesting thing to find the
word used lii the case Of profession
al boxer.