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Show SUPERFICIAL CHARACTERISTICS. CHARACTERIST-ICS. Butte Intcrmountaiu: Hjow lightly light-ly do we write, and alk, of that which we have scant knowledge, of which we cherish misconceptions, in regard to which wc arc. absolutely ignorant 1 The field is too great for any less than a.Taine to survey, hut what would it not be worth to know whether modern peoples in a similar stage of development resemble us in this respect and whefhcr literary records would indicate that dead peoples, in a similar state of development, develop-ment, resemble us? One danger of A wholesale criticism of a race or nation na-tion is that while any may dictate the ideal, their comparative advancement advance-ment is almost impossible to estimate, esti-mate, because of the stupendous task of collecting comparative data. But whether wc sink below, or rise above contemporary or historical peoples, he who runs may read that we arc highly superficial in speech and the written word. Cariylc thought that the first way to end war was to bring all indifferent indif-ferent or hostile peoples into communion, com-munion, and certainly increased transportation trans-portation facilities, the piiufcd alphabet al-phabet and the electrical transmission devices have tended to eliminate war. . Among individuals, as between nations, na-tions, how frequently do wc misunderstand misun-derstand one another, how many disputes, dis-putes, even duels, mental or physical might be averted if each could hear the other's side! Wc condemn this mar, often without being aware of a moiety of the facts in the case, and wc become estranged from that man when if wc could confer upon a common com-mon level, our dislike might be transformed trans-formed into real regard. And in almost al-most every instance the evil will be found to have Jain in our habit be it peculiarly American or characfcris-tic characfcris-tic of all races of superficial judgment judg-ment and decision. Even in the highest American circle- failure to master data and digest di-gest relations manifests itself daily, in ludicrous errors or tragical missteps. mis-steps. Every member of the United I States senate can give you a fair k J summary of Evelyn Thaw's betrayal t by Stanford White, but r.ow and then R wc find a senator unfamiliar with the B constitution of the United States. It is so in both houses of congress. In the fourth estate we find journalists whose ignorance or unripe judgment causss themi to become guilty of frightful mis-statements and higM perilous juxtapositions. This is not said cither in a spirit of criticism or blame, for the fault is confined to no class or profession or trade, but is characteristic of the entire people and 'J, is at once the cause and result of peculiar evils. Is chiefly known manifestation is what a former generation gen-eration dubbed "spread-eagleism," a spirit that led us into ridiculous assumptions as-sumptions of 'our achievement's ' and-relative and-relative "importance, jr. the period fol-" Tha.kcray to laugh at us, and the besi minds of Europe to turn up its nose. Any American who has not read Josh Billings 'biting satire upon "spread-eagleism" "spread-eagleism" fails to understand the history his-tory of his country. Josh explains, for one thing, that among the certain cer-tain proofs that the Americans lead is the fact that our steamboats blow up higher! Volumes might be written upon the subjoct. Vet a concrete instance will suffice to make the meaning of this article clear. In an eastern community communi-ty never mind where some years since never mind how long ago lived an upright man. lie stood well in his church and on the financial highway. He had reared a respectable respect-able family; his name stood well toward to-ward the top of all charity lists and his simple word was good for every penny he had. Yet he was democratic democra-tic of spirit and humble as a Christian Christ-ian should be. The man was the sort of man, men turn to, as a stronghold. strong-hold. One day a bolt shot out of a clear sky, struck this man and left him a miserable wreck. His eldest daugh- . tcr, a girl scarcely out of her teens, ) A ran away and joind a comic opera H troupe. The man's hair grew gray a in a week, he was seen no more in his 5 haunts and his friends said his heart was broken I About what? Absolutely about I nothing! His girl had developed his- 1 trionic talent. Knowing her father's I prejudices against the s"gc and her 1 mothcr'9 inability o differ from him a on any topic, she took the only pos- U sible course. Her happiness led her gj to the footlights. Slid ibccamlc la 6 minor singer of promise and to the ' W end for the end was not long in 9 coming she remained a good worn- m an. What happened? Her father, 0 noble, kindly, loving, almost super- affectionate,, drove her into an early I grave .and" s'o.Qn. followed, merely be- cause "hi? ignorance of tne stage as H a profession was his ignorance of the lowing the war of 1812, a spirit that caused Dickens to exociate us, policies of the planet Mars. He denounced her to all who knew her. He gave it out that lie considered consid-ered her damnicd. Having never mingled with theatrical people, he was enslaved by the ludicrous notion that there arc no pure women in comic opera. His daughter, anxiously awaiting forgiveness and rcconcila-tion, rcconcila-tion, wilted under his curses, conveyed con-veyed 'by a roundabout means to her cars. One day he heard that she lay dying in a 'neighboring city. He fled to her bedside and the interview that ensued took his life with hers, for he survived her only a few months. But the point of the story is this: While she lay dying, and when, after she had gone to her other Father he knew, the man met show people about her for the first time, he found that he had maligned average Americans, among whom the per cent of the impure im-pure was no greater than amongst bankers, like himself; and his knowledge, knowl-edge, that his bigotry had killed his little girl, was the culminating blow. This man, his daughter and the mother, moth-er, whose days were embittered many years, were the actual victims of American Am-erican superficiality of judgment. |