the american claimant-第13节

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identification；　and　that　is　become　legally　impossible。　　No　resources　to
fall　back　on。　　It　is　work　or　starve　from　now　to　the　end。　　I　am　readyand
not　afraid！〃

Then　he　sent　this　cablegram　to　his　father：

〃Escaped　unhurt　from　burning　hotel。　　Have　taken　fictitious　name。
Goodbye。〃

During　the；　evening；　while　he　was　wandering　about　in　one　of　the　outlying
districts　of　the　city；　he　came　across　a　small　brick　church；　with　a　bill
posted　there　with　these　words　printed　on　it：　〃MECHANICS'　CLUB　DEBATE。
ALL　INVITED。〃　　He　saw　people；　apparently　mainly　of　the　working　class；
entering　the　place；　and　he　followed　and　took　his　seat。　　It　was　a　humble
little　church；　quite　bare　as　to　ornamentation。　　It　had　painted　pews
without　cushions；　and　no　pulpit；　properly　speaking；　but　it　had　a
platform。　　On　the　platform　sat　the　chairman；　and　by　his　side　sat　a　man
who　held　a　manuscript　in　his　hand　and　had　the　waiting　look　of　one　who　is
going　to　perform　the　principal　part。　　The　church　was　soon　filled　with　a
quiet　and　orderly　congregation　of　decently　dressed　and　modest　people。
This　is　what　the　chairman　said：

〃The　essayist　for　this　evening　is　an　old　member　of　our　club　whom　you　all
know；　Mr。　　Parker；　assistant　editor　of　the　Daily　Democrat。　　The　subject
of　his　essay　is　the　American　Press；　and　he　will　use　as　his　text　a　couple
of　paragraphs　taken　from　Mr。　Matthew　Arnold's　new　book。　　He　asks　me　to
read　these　texts　for　him。　　The　first　is　as　follows：

〃'Goethe　says　somewhere　that　〃the　thrill　of　awe；〃　that　is　to　say；
REVERENCE；　is　the　best　thing　humanity　has。〃

〃Mr。　Arnold's　other　paragraph　is　as　follows：

〃'I　should　say　that　if　one　were　searching　for　the　best　means　to　efface
and　kill　in　a　whole　nation　the　discipline　of　respect；　one　could　not　do
better　than　take　the　American　newspapers。〃

Mr。　　Parker　rose　and　bowed；　and　was　received　with　warm　applause。　　He　then
began　to　read　in　a　good　round　resonant　voice；　with　clear　enunciation　and
careful　attention　to　his　pauses　and　emphases。　　His　points　were　received
with　approval　as　he　went　on。

The　essayist　took　the　position　that　the　most　important　function　of　a
public　journal　in　any　country　was　the　propagating　of　national　feeling　and
pride　in　the　national　namethe　keeping　the　people　〃in　love　with　their
country　and　its　institutions；　and　shielded　from　the　allurements　of　alien
and　inimical　systems。〃　　He　sketched　the　manner　in　which　the　reverent
Turkish　or　Russian　journalist　fulfilled　this　functionthe　one　assisted
by　the　prevalent　〃discipline　of　respect〃　for　the　bastinado；　the　other　for
Siberia。　　Continuing；　he　said：

The　chief　function　of　an　English　journal　is　that　of　all　other　journals
the　world　over：　it　must　keep　the　public　eye　fixed　admiringly　upon　certain
things；　and　keep　it　diligently　diverted　from　certain　others。　　For
instance；　it　must　keep　the　public　eye　fixed　admiringly　upon　the　glories
of　England；　a　processional　splendor　stretching　its　receding　line　down　the
hazy　vistas　of　time；　with　the　mellowed　lights　of　a　thousand　years
glinting　from　its　banners；　and　it　must　keep　it　diligently　diverted　from
the　fact　that　all　these　glories　were　for　the　enrichment　and
aggrandizement　of　the　petted　and　privileged　few；　at　cost　of　the　blood　and
sweat　and　poverty　of　the　unconsidered　masses　who　achieved　them　but　might
not　enter　in　and　partake　of　them。　　It　must　keep　the　public　eye　fixed　in
loving　and　awful　reverence　upon　the　throne　as　a　sacred　thing；　and
diligently　divert　it　from　the　fact　that　no　throne　was　ever　set　up　by　the
unhampered　vote　of　a　majority　of　any　nation；　and　that　hence　no　throne
exists　that　has　a　right　to　exist；　and　no　symbol　of　it；　flying　from　any
flagstaff；　is　righteously　entitled　to　wear　any　device　but　the　skull　and
crossbones　of　that　kindred　industry　which　differs　from　royalty　only
business…wise…merely　as　retail　differs　from　wholesale。　　It　must　keep　the
citizen's　eye　fixed　in　reverent　docility　upon　that　curious　invention　of
machine　politics；　an　Established　Church；　and　upon　that　bald　contradiction
of　common　justice；　a　hereditary　nobility；　and　diligently　divert　it　from
the　fact　that　the　one　damns　him　if　he　doesn't　wear　its　collar；　and　robs
him　under　the　gentle　name　of　taxation　whether　he　wears　it　or　not；　and　the
other　gets　all　the　honors　while　he　does　all　the　work。

The　essayist　thought　that　Mr。　　Arnold；　with　his　trained　eye　and
intelligent　observation；　ought　to　have　perceived　that　the　very　quality
which　he　so　regretfully　missed　from　our　pressrespectfulness；　reverence
was　exactly　the　thing　which　would　make　our　press　useless　to　us　if　it
had　itrob　it　of　the　very　thing　which　differentiates　it　from　all　other
journalism　in　the　world　and　makes　it　distinctively　and　preciously
American；　its　frank　and　cheerful　irreverence　being　by　all　odds　the　most
valuable　of　all　its　qualities。　　〃For　its　missionoverlooked　by　Mr。
Arnoldis　to　stand　guard　over　a　nation's　liberties；　not　its　humbugs　and
shams。〃　　He　thought　that　if　during　fifty　years　the　institutions　of　the
old　world　could　be　exposed　to　the　fire　of　a　flouting　and　scoffing　press
like　ours；　〃monarchy　and　its　attendant　crimes　would　disappear　from
Christendom。〃　　Monarchists　might　doubt　this；　then　〃why　not　persuade　the
Czar　to　give　it　a　trial　in　Russia？〃　　Concluding；　he　said：

Well；　the　charge　is；　that　our　press　has　but　little　of　that　old　world
quality；　reverence。　　Let　us　be　candidly　grateful　that　it　is　so。　　With　its
limited　reverence　it　at　least　reveres　the　things　which　this　nation
reveres；　as　a　rule；　and　that　is　sufficient：　what　other　people　revere　is
fairly　and　properly　matter　of　light　importance　to　us。　　Our　press　does　not
reverence　kings；　it　does　not　reverence　so　called　nobilities；　it　does　not
reverence　established　ecclesiastical　slaveries；　it　does　not　reverence
laws　which　rob　a　younger　son　to　fatten　an　elder　one；　it　does　not
reverence　any　fraud　or　sham　or　infamy；　howsoever　old　or　rotten　or　holy；
which　sets　one　citizen　above　his　neighbor　by　accident　of　birth：　it　does
not　reverence　any　law　or　custom；　howsoever　old　or　decayed　or　sacred；
which　shuts　against　the　best　man　in　the　land　the　best　place　in　the　land
and　the　divine　right　to　prove　property　and　go　up　and　occupy　it。　　In　the
sense　of　the　poet　Goethethat　meek　idolater　of　provincial　three　carat
royalty　and　nobilityour　press　is　certainly　bankrupt　in　the　〃thrill　of
awe〃otherwise　reverence；　reverence　for　nickel　plate　and　brummagem。
Let　us　sincerely　hope　that　this　fact　will　remain　a　fact　forever：　for　to
my　mind　a　discriminating　irreverence　is　the　creator　and　protector　of
human　libertyeven　as　the　other　thing　is　the　creator；　nurse；　and
steadfast　protector　of　all　forms　of　human　slavery；　bodily　and　mental。

Tracy　said　to　himself；　almost　shouted　to　himself；　〃I'm　glad　I　came　to
this　country。　　I　was　right。　　I　was　right　to　seek　out　a　land　where　such
healthy　principles　and　theories　are　in　men's　hearty　and　minds。　　Think　of
the　innumerable　slaveries　imposed　by　misplaced　reverence！　　How　well　he
brought　that　out；　and　how　true　it　is。　　There's　manifestly　prodigious
force　in　reverence。　　If　you　can　get　a　man　to　reverence　your　ideals；　he's
your　slave。　　Oh；　yes；　in　all　the　ages　the　peoples　of　Europe　have　been
diligently　taught　to　avoid　reasoning　about　the　shams　of　monarchy　and
nobility；　been　taught　to　avoid　examining　them；　been　taught　to　reverence
them；　and　now；　as　a　natural　result；　to　reverence　them　is　second　nature。
In　order　to　shock　them　it　is　sufficient　to　inject　a　thought　of　the
opposite　kind　into　their　dull　minds。　　For　ages；　any　expression　of　so…
called　irreverence　from　their　lips　has　been　sin　and　crime。　　The　sham　and
swindle　of　all　this　is　apparent　the　moment　one　reflects　that　he　is
himself　the　only　legitimately　qualified　judge　of　what　is　entitled　to
reverence　and　what　is　not。　　Come；　I　hadn't　thought　of　that　before；　but　it
is　true；　absolutely　true。　　What　right　has　Goethe；　what　right　has　Arnold；
what　right　has　any　dictionary；　to　define　the　word　Irreverence　for　me？
What　their　ideals　are　is　nothing　to　me。　　So　long　as　I　reverence　my　own
ideals　my　whole　duty　is　done；　and　I　commit　no　profanation　if　I　laugh　at
theirs。　　I　may　scoff　at　other　people's　ideals　as　much　as　I　want　to。　　It
is　my　right　and　my　privilege。　　No　man　has　any　right　to　deny　it。〃

Tracy　was　expecting　to　hear　the　essay　debated；　but　this　did　not　happen。
The　chairman　said；　by　way　of　explanation：

〃I　would　say；　for　the　information　of　the　strangers　present　here；　that　in
accordance　with　our　custom　the　subject　of　this　meeting　will　be　debated　at
the　next　meeting　of　the　club。　　This　is　in　order　to　enable　our　members　to
prepare　what　they　may　wish　to　say　upon　the　subject　with　pen　and　paper；
for　we　are　mainly　mechanics　and　unaccustomed　to　speaking。　　We　are　obliged
to　write　down　what　we　desire　to　say。〃

Many　brief　papers　were　now　read；　and　several　offhand　speeches　made　in
discussion　of　the　essay　read　at　the　last　meeting　of　the　club；　which　had
been　a　laudation；　by　some　visiting　professor；　of　college　culture；　and　the
grand　results　flowing　from　it　to　the　nation。　　One　of　the　papers　was　read
by　a　man　approaching　middle　age；　who　said　he　hadn't　had　a　college
education；　that　he　had　got　his　education　in　a　printing　office；　and　had
graduated　from　there　into　the　patent　office；　where　he　had　been　a