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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1902)
THE COURIER OBSERVATIONS BY SARAH B. HARRIS RepuUkaa Simplicity Those who talked with Prince Henry, who has paid us a visit of courtesy hnd diplomacy, were Impressed by his English accent and manners. He spoke English an Englishmen speak it, that Is, with an island accent and not as the Germans speak it. Most Americans who tell the truth will admit that they were profoundly gratified when he embarked for Ger jnany. In the crowds that surrounded him in his tour of the principal German cities of America, Chicago, Milwau kee. St. Louis and New York, there were many cranks who would have, shot him for the sake of notoriety. All Americans worthy of their country .were glad to see him, to receive him, and to cheer him. Compared to the number of liberty and law loving Americans there are very few an archists, but one of these cowards armed with a bomb or gun can kill, and th regret of the other 75.000,000 well meaning Americans is of no avail. Al though the Prince was surrounded by policemen and detectives, there is no adequate defense from an anarchist, and so apprehensive America was re lieved when the Prince went aboard the Hohenzollern and our responsi bility for our royal guest's safety was at an end. With all due respect to the emperor of Germany, and no Intelligent person can contemplate the career and the performance of the emperor without respect, his brother's visit has Im pressed the fact upon our minds that republican and monarchical forms will not mix. The ladles of Chicago hesitated to .fcake hands with -the prince. Mrs. Carter Harrison decided to revive the ancient courtesy as a salutation. Therefore, when the prince was pre sented to her at the ball which Chi cago gave In his honor, she dropped him a courtesy, and all the other ladies at the ball followed her ex ample. The prince may hve been sur prised; he had come to a republic and had made up his mind to shake all the hands which should be held out to him. He had determined while In America, to do as the Americans do. AVhen Americans, the most distin guished and most worthy of the hom age of mankind, go to England, the English do not discard any of their social forms or habits for the sake of foreigners. If the American is fortu nate enough to be received by the English sovereign, he must conform In every particular to the court conven tions. It is the same In Germany, and why not? Home manners are good enough. . The foreigner who is re reived with all the outward tokens of welcome: flowers, flags, cheering, din ners, etc can expect no more. And as a matter of fact the heirs apparent, grand dukes, and other members of the royal family who come to see us expect to be treated as well as we treat the best among us and no better. Why should we have a special set of social rules and customs for the brother to a prince? If we can shake the hand of the president of the United States, then there is no hand that we can not shake. The president of the United States is the most powerful functionary In the world. He has larger power than any other individ ual. He represents the most powerful country in the world. Americans are slower In comprehending this fact than are the sovereigns of Europe. The Sultai: of Turkey Is the modern rep resentative of the ancient absolutism. In the czar's country there Is local self-government, but in Turkey the sultan Is, if he -choose, court, legisla ture and cabinet. But who seeks the favor of the Sultan? His people are enslaved and slaves can confer only weak representative power. The representative of 73.flflo.ftft) free people who live In un uncrowded yet populous country is at the pinnacle, of human greatness. From the stand point of power he Is the most awe inspiring ruler in the world. Therefore, so long as the powers and principalities of Europe seem to be headed this way, and thankful for the invitation, why need we get so nervous about the application of our manners to them? What is good enough for the greatest man alive is good enough for the younger son of any royal house or for any sovereign. The courtesy Is a graceful form of salutation, in many respects better than the hand-shake, but it is obso lete, and It is certain that Mrs. Carter Harrison would have tried no courte sies on President Roosevelt. If it had been suggested to her she would have replied that It was too deferential. Yet she and other ladies practiced courte sies for a fortnight before the arrival of a man who is not intrinsically great like the president of the United States, who has little power that does not ac crue to him through his relationship to an emperor. The time has come for the adoption of rules. It Is good for the country that the sovereigns of Europe should get acquainted personally with Ameri ca, Its resources, representative men and the character of Its population. Their Increased knowledge of us and our ways tends to the development of international commerce. Therefore, princes of Germany, England, Japan, Italy and representatives of all other countries, who think it worth while to inspect us, are welcome. But when they, arrive the members of the com mittee should shake hands with their royal highnesses, offer them the best we have, show them our most impres sive scenery and stock-yards, and give them the best things to cat with Eng lish names there are in the markets. But unless we wish to give them the impression that we are ashamed of democracy worked out In society, let us not kiss their hand nor drop them mock-humble courtesies. We can not ape the manners of courts without be traying our Ignorance and exciting de rision. They know that America is the great republic. They come expecting to be treated as men, gentlemen and representatives of Englishmen, Ger mans or Japanese. What greatness they possess is derived from the peo ple. Tliey are messengers, emissaries, national signs. If it were not for the busy toilers they leave at home, dukes and princes would be without signifi cance. Emperor William, shorn of his representative character, would not attract the attention of the world. It is because he so ably and wisely rep resents the great German nation that Americans lately cheered his brother. We are Americans still, no matter who comes to see us. Let the mayors, their wives, and all others in authority re member that. The principle on which this govern ment is founded and by which It main tains itself is that one man is Just as good as another, if not a little better. When kings and princes cross the ocean to see America, It Is absurd for us to consult books on court etiquette and seek to give the visitors the Im pression that we are ashamed of the republican regime; acknowledge In so many words that George Washington made a mistake. If the founders of this government did make a mistake in subjecting their descendants to the humiliation of getting along without a reigning family, we should acknowl edge it first among ourselves and not grow apologetic and humble before a prince whose brother, the emperor of Germany, is courting our favor. Henry maintained his reputation for bluntness by taking out full nautical license. The Chicago papers declare that Henry contrasted his Chicago and New York entertainment to the dispar agement of the latter. Nothing pleases Chicago better than a favorable com parison with New York. But the New Yorkers who fed, flagged and toasted Henry are thinking of the bad form of contrasting the efforts of two hosts, both of whom did their best. The Kaiser sent his brother with greetings to the United States. Henry seems to think he was sent to Chicago and Milwaukee. But the sailor's li cense will cover his error, If It was an error. Poets and sailors are exigent, therefore the license. j & j ITomaa Suffrage If the discussion concerning the rights of woman is not conducted in a spirit of good humor, and with an open mind, it Is not the fault of the women who argue the affirmation. Miss Laura Gregg, who has been sta tioned in Nebraska to advance the cause here, is mistress of herself, of sound reasoning and of the history of 'woman suffrage, its growth and efforts in the states which have adopted it. Mr. Bixby, who occasionally disputes on the lecture platform the right of woman to do anything but cook, sew, scrub, or bear and rear children, and daily with his pen misrepresents the actual modern woman and her aspira tions, is a naturally good-natured and well-meaning man. He discusses sub jects not connected with woman with tolerable intelligence and occasional wit. But when he is writing or talking about woman, he is in coherent, futile, and most of the time in a rage, which explains his incoher ency and impotency. Besides he does not know anything about the history of the subject. Why should not men be able to discuss this subject with tem perance and reason? The slaveholders in the half century of discussion which preceded the adop tion of the fifteenth amendment were unable to restrain their choler. They began and ended, the discussion by calling names. The slaves themselves and white men who manumitted or re fused to hold slaves were able to con sider slavery Impersonally by the un shaded light of reason. The aggressor, the slave-holder, was In the wrong and the sub-consciousness irritated him to the point where bill ingsgate was his only weapon. Miss Lippincott 3& C1 & A Stifled Vegetable Since the illness of the president's son at Groton, the careful parents who were shocked by the news that Theo dore Roosevelt, Jr., wore no hat have unanimously felt that their worst fears were confirmed. Someone asked the president if his son would hereafter wear a hat, he answered "Oh no; the youngster has long gone about hat less." Man Is slow to learn. The shining spheres that reflect the thousand lights in a theatre are the polished skulls of men, whose teeth, eyes and ears are functionally perfect. There are com paratively few deaf or blind people, but the well-thatched, middle-aged man is an exception. Each hair is a plant, nourished, as ali plants are, by sunlight and air. Indoor plants are kept In the windows where the sun's rays fall directly upon them. Men cover their hair plants with a black, air-tight hat made of water proof silk or felt and are surprised when the hair droops, fades and comes out. The Blue-Coat boys In the London school wear hats neither In winter nor in summer. Their thick, luxuriant, thoroughly alive hair pro tects them from storms and the burn ing sun. The school uniform prescribes no hat and a long blue coat and since the school was established in the time of Edward I, the uniform, a long blue coat, yellow leggings and low shoes, has remained practically the same. The good health of the boys and their thick hair demonstrate that the hat lessness is wholesome and that the hair needs air. A banquet of ten courses was recently served to the students of the Carthage. (Mo.) high school at a cost of ten cents to each participant. The bill of fare in cluded wine a thimbleful to eich guest. ( Studio, Room 6S ( urowneu biock Lessons in Drawing, Painting, i-yrograpny , wooa earring, im DroTed China Kiln. Coins deco rated or flred. Studio open Monday. Tuesday, nknatoif r anil MivifrsmnAlis a uuiiiMii uu imj .; wi 2 to 6 o'clock. Saturday mornings 9 to 12. DR. BfiNJ. P. BAILEY, Residence, Sanatorium. TeL 617. At offlca.2 to 4, and Sundays, 12 to 1 p. m. DR. MAY L. FLANAGAN, Resldenoe.621So.Utli. TeL 869. At office, 10 to 12 a.m.; 4to0p.mf Sundays, to 4 :30 p.m. Office, Zehrung Block, 141 So. 12th. TeL 818. LOUIS X. WENTE, D. D. S., OFFICE, ROOMS 26, 27, 1, BBOWNELL BLOCK, 137 South Eleventh street, Telephone, Office, 630. J. R. HAGGARD, M. D., LINCOLN, NEB. Office. 1100 O street Rooms 212, 213, 214, Richards Block; Telephone 535. Residence, 1310 O street; Telephone K9S4 M. B. Ketchum, M D., Phar.D. Practice limited to EYE, EAR, NOSE. THROAT, CATARRH, AND FITTING SPECTACLES. Phone 848. Hours, 9 to 5; Sunday, 1 to 2:30. Rooms 313-314 Third Floor Richards Block, Lincoln, Neb. THE First National Bank OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA Capital, $200,000.00 . Surplus and Profits, . 54.255.08 Deposits, ...... 2,480,352.18 S. H. Burxham, A. J. Sawyer, President. Vice-President. H. S. Freeman, Cashier. H. B. Evans, Frank Parks, Ass't Cashier. Ass't Cashier. United States Depository v "&&&. vWi j--- z The quality of the Piano you use will have more to do with the success of your career as a musi cian than possibly you may think. If you use a IVeber, Bauer, or Matthews your success is assured, every thing else being equal. You can buy any one of these beautiful instruments on easy terms at the lowest possible prices consistent with quality, of the Matthews Piano Co. arerooau 1120 O Street, Lmcofa -i- sal
