Show COURTESY OF OFFICIALS such men ara more bolte thin th in aru or I 1 irate et 1 have never seen this courtesy of public officials spoken of as I 1 think it should be writes edward everett hale in the cosmopolitan I 1 do not like to ascribe it simply to selfishness it seems to me to bolong to the great underlying der lying principle on which republics are baad namely a determination of each man to live in a larger life than he ia in and to bear his burdens 1 have knocked about a deal in different states of this union I 1 have been uncivilly treated very often but I 1 cannot recall a single instance in which at a public office where tho officials were appointed either directly or indirectly by the people I 1 have found anything but courtesy and a willingness to advance my purpose I 1 remember particularly going into the office of the secretary of state in texas an utter stranger I 1 wanted to conduct difficult historical inquiries there which could not have had any particular interest to the officials whom I 1 met they knew nothing of me or my designs but I 1 spoke the englich language and they knew I 1 was an american it was understood at once that the remarkable manuscript treasures of that department were to bo placed at my disposal with every facility for their use what a contrast this with the difficulty which surrounds any student even with the best recommendations when he wishes to examine the archives of any government in europe I 1 refer to the principle of which I 1 have spoken it seems to me to belong to the habit of mutual help or operation cooperation co which ia essential if we mean to have what we call a commonwealth now it seems to me fair to compare this with the petulance the arrogance and the ignorance which one so olten finds in the offices say of the telegraph companies or of an incorporated bank the official in either of these places is a person who has been appointed for private purposes his own individual horizon seems to be the horizon of his own comfort he does not want to help forward the visitor who comes in he wants to earn his own salary and to get home as early as he can to his cigar or to read his novel I 1 do not say that such an official treats you rudely in four cases out of five he does not but in the fifth case you get the surly half answer of a person who cares nothing about you or your affairs ho wishes you had not come in he hopes you will go out and he does not mean if ho can help it that you shall come in again |